


S is for Sure

by Penelope_Muir



Series: B...is for...Bethyl [1]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, First Love, Fluff, Post-Terminus (Walking Dead)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:02:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 61,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26632558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Penelope_Muir/pseuds/Penelope_Muir
Summary: Beth and Daryl attempt to navigate their changing relationship following the events at Terminus.
Relationships: Daryl Dixon/Beth Greene
Series: B...is for...Bethyl [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1978555
Comments: 40
Kudos: 87





	1. Day One

Carl's snoring was making it impossible to sleep.

At least it was for Beth. Judging by the accompanying heavy breathing and nose-whistling that surrounded her, she guessed that no one else was quite as bothered by it.

Maybe it was just restlessness keeping her awake. Too much had happened over the past few days; the last few weeks, really. The prison loss still weighed heavily on her mind, on all of their minds, yet the shelter and safety of it felt like a lifetime ago. All that had happened since had kept her mind from it, had kept her busy. Those first few weeks with Daryl, the following few at Terminus. Now, in the dead of night, while everyone slept soundly around her all she seemed to be able to do was think.

Think about the prison. Think about the Governor. Think about her father. Remember how he died. The moment came to her every time she closed her eyes.

Beth drew the blanket she was sharing with Judith up closer to her chin and drew in a shaky breath.

_Don't think about that. You don't get to. Can't fall apart._

It was the mantra she had recited to herself for months now. _You don't get to fall apart._ You don't get to lay down and cry, no matter how hard things get. It was weak. And weakness gets you killed.

Sometimes she felt like a fraud. Like she wasn't fooling anyone. They could all see right through her; they knew she wasn't strong. She wasn't like them. Other times she could see that surprise, the respect in their eyes; like they realised she _wasn't_ just another dead girl. She wasn't just Hershel Greene's little girl. She was a fighter. She was just like them.

Just different.

Daryl could see it. Out of all of them, she would catch that look in his eyes in the most; the respect. He cared what she thought, how she felt, what she did. He knew her; those few short weeks after they burned the cabin down made her sure of that.

Beth rolled over onto her back, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead, as her mind drifted to him. He was different with her now. It was subtle but she could sense it; could tell he was holding back. They had been reunited just three days before; Daryl and Rick had escaped from Terminus last and he hadn't known she was there.

He hadn't held back then. He hadn't approached her, but when she went to him and hugged him tight, he held her back. It was more than he had ever done before when she had embraced him, but it wasn't something she thought much of at the time. She was just too happy to see him again; to see _all_ of them again. And in that moment all that matter was that they were together.

They were home.

But that was where the familiarity seemed to end. They had run from Terminus too fast for any explanations, before any real conversation had taken place. The first day, it was all business. They ran until they found two cars, they camped out in a rundown general store overnight, the next day gathering supplies and heading out – six to one car, seven to another.

Just two days on the road before it all went to hell and they had to make camp.

It was the third day that they really had any chance to talk. And Daryl seemed happy to do anything but. Yet, he still hovered around within sight of her, keeping his eyes on her when he thought she wasn't looking. When she finally left Maggie's side and approached him he had declared he needed to go hunting and spent the rest of the day out in the woods, not returning until after sundown.

Beth brushed the hair back from her face. She shouldn't let it bother her. Of course things would be different now. They were back where they belonged; with the people they thought they had lost, those that they had mourned together. They were no longer alone; no longer just the two of them against the world.

Things were back the way they should be. They were back the way they were.

And it was silly to think Daryl would pay her the same attention as he did when they were alone. He had the whole group to protect again now. It wasn't all about her.

She felt slightly foolish for being offended earlier. And yet, the disappointment burned deep within her. She didn't want to lose the closeness they had developed; she didn't want to lose the friend she had found in him.

Beth shook her head, glancing over at the sleeping forms next to her within the tent; Carl, Carol and Sasha. Daryl had seemed closed off with Carol earlier that day too. So it wasn't just her. Maybe it had nothing to do with her. Maybe he was just overwhelmed at finding everyone again.

She turned and rolled over, eyes resting on the sleeping baby on the other side of her. She smiled and brushed the hair back from Judith's forehead, before she pushed herself up onto her hands and knees and began shuffling backwards out of the tent.

Sleeping was a fruitless pursuit it seemed and she was becoming claustrophobic in the overfilled three man tent.

Carl snorted awake when she accidently knocked him and she whispered an apology before ducking out into the open air, gracelessly stumbling upright as she did so. She brushed her hands over her top and jeans, unconsciously smoothing them out, as her eyes quickly sought out her sister who was sleeping close by under a blanket with Glenn.

They appeared to be more comfortable than she had been moments earlier and she figured they had had the better idea, quickly claiming a blanket between them rather than a space in the tents. Her eyes drifted over the other sleeping forms; Rick, Michonne, Tyreese.

Beth knew before she glanced in the direction of the tree who was on watch; her eyes couldn't seem to help seeking him out when she didn't see him among the others.

Daryl had his back against the trunk, his knees bent and his arms resting lazily over them. He was watching her and when their eyes met he gave her a slight nod in acknowledgement. She smiled in response, hesitating for only a second, before she made her way over to him.

She wasn't sure if she imagined that his knees drew closer to his chest at her approach.

"Hey," he mumbled, looking up at her.

"Hi."

The two of them fell silent, just looking at one another for a moment, before Daryl ducked his head and turned his attention towards the knife in his hand. He tapped the blade on the ground, quietly, while she stood wondering if she should stay or go.

"Y'know, reason we have people on watch is so everyone else can get some sleep," Daryl finally said, his tone slightly wry.

Beth felt herself relax slightly, before she shrugged and rolled her eyes, "Couldn't sleep." She braced her hand on the tree trunk before lowering herself to sit next to him; "Too much stuff happenin'; can't switch it off."

Daryl nodded in the direction of the others, "Doesn't seem like anyone else is havin' that problem."

"They're probably beat."

"You ain't?"

Beth caught the hint of concern in his voice and felt a smile tug her lips. She shrugged, crossing her legs in front of her, "I'm okay. I probably got more sleep than any of you. They didn't keep _me_ in a boxcar."

Daryl met her eyes at that; looked like he was studying her, looking at her that intense way he did sometimes that made her feel warmer and want to both stare right back and look away at the same time.

He always looked away first. And it wasn't a pattern to be broken now, it seemed, as he lowered his eyes back to the knife he was holding. He pushed the blade back against the ground; it sunk slightly into the mud.

"They hurt you?"

His question was so quiet she barely heard it. He kept his eyes on the ground, his face turned away from her; as if he were ashamed or something.

She shook her head, her response quiet; "No."

Daryl swallowed but didn't look up or do anything else to acknowledge her statement.

She drew in a breath and spoke more assertively, "No. They didn't hurt me."

Daryl was quiet, looking thoughtful as he seemed to take in her words; she noticed his shoulders relax slightly after a few seconds. And then he turned his head to meet her eyes. He nodded; "Good."

Beth gave him a small smile and his lips twitched slightly, not quite a smile but enough that she felt the connection they had had some time ago, when it was just the two of them, was still there. The warmth in his expression relaxed her and she allowed her smile to turn brighter, before she shuffled herself closer to him and leaned her back against the tree so that she was sat next to him, their arms brushing together.

She leant the back of her head against the trunk, drawing in a breath before she went on with a story she hadn't really intended on telling before that point; "When I got out the house, the car…it wasn't there. I didn't see it. I just ran. There were a couple of walkers at the corner of the house. They saw me but they weren't too close, I ran around the back – I thought they'd follow me. It'd slow them down a bit and give us a chance to meet at the road without them catching up. The car…it came out of nowhere."

Daryl had stopped playing with the knife and was sitting very still, listening to her silently.

"I saw it right before it hit me," she looked down, "The next thing I remember I was waking up in a bed and a girl was there next to me. She was a nurse before the turn. She told me I probably had a broken rib, but that other than that I was fine. She said I was lucky – the car wasn't driving that fast."

Daryl turned to look at her, "I didn't know."

She met his eyes with a questioning frown.

"That it hit you. Thought they just grabbed you." He glanced down in the direction of her stomach, "You okay now?"

Beth shrugged, touching her side, pressing gingerly, "Yeah, I think they're healing fine. Been about four weeks. It still hurts a little sometimes. Depending on how I move; but I forget about it most of the time now. Unless I sneeze. Or cough."

Daryl was looking at her side, critically, "More reason you should be sleeping."

Beth drew her knees up, mimicking his pose and ignoring his statement, "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"You know," she raised an eyebrow, "What happened to you? After they took me? Maggie told me you and Rick got to Terminus together," Daryl lowered his eyes as she went on. She leaned herself forward, wrapping her arms around her legs, her chin resting on the top of her knees; "How did you find him?"

Daryl was quiet for several moments, as if he didn't want to answer and, by the time he did speak, Beth had already reconciled herself to him not being willing to tell the story.

"Followed the car for a while. Came across these guys…well, they came across me. These dumbasses; they took me in."

Beth lifted her chin from her knees to look at him more fully, picking up on the sombreness of his tone.

"It was dumb, they had a code. You wouldn't a' liked it."

"What code?"

He shook his head, "Don't matter. Anyway, they were tracking someone – some guy they said killed one of them. Turns out it was Rick. So they were trackin' 'im; 'im and Michonne and Carl." He paused, looking down, "Led me right to 'em."

Beth paused, taking in what he had told her, quickly realising the circumstances of their reunion wasn't good. Just as his reunion with Maggie and Glenn hadn't been in the boxcar; nor the swiftness of the reuniting with Tyreese and Carol.

Beth fingered the hem of her cardigan, before commenting; "They wanted to kill Rick?"

Daryl didn't answer. They both knew he didn't need to.

Beth nodded, "I get it."

Daryl shook his head, "Nah."

She turned her head to look at him again. He didn't return her gaze, instead had returned to digging the blade on the knife into the ground; "These sons of bitches…they were bad. Real bad."

Daryl looked hesitant before he went on. Went on and told her exactly what had happened. How they had found Rick and Michonne on the road; how some scumbag had seen Carl in the car and had put his hands on him. Told her what Rick had done to stop them. How they had killed them all.

He spoke quietly and Beth could almost feel the shame roiling off of him.

"I didn't know…I wouldn't have been with them if I did –"

"Daryl," she interrupted him, her voice as quiet as his, as she leaned in a bit closer to him, "It all worked out. You found them. Y'all did what you had to do."

Daryl turned his head towards her, his brow furrowed slightly.

Beth held his eyes with hers, "We all gotta do things we don't like." She shrugged, "It's just the way things are now."

Daryl's eyes seemed to darken at her words. He shook his head, "Don't have to be that way." She saw his eyes glance in the direction of the tent she had just exited, before they met hers again, "We don't have to change that much."

Beth had a feeling they weren't really talking about her, or him, anymore. It was clear he was aware that he had to kill those men; that his shame laid not in killing them but in being with them in the first place. But she didn't know what he was referring to, only that her words had struck him somewhere inside.

Beth shivered as a breeze brushed over them, rubbing her arms with her hands, drawing Daryl's attention back to her.

She rolled her eyes, "Snooze you lose, right? Missed out on claiming a blanket."

Daryl frowned before he pushed himself forward and tugged the poncho he was wearing over his head. Beth quickly shook her head, "No, you don't have to – I can just go back inside…" But he had already draped it messily over her and was leaning back against the tree before she had even finished the statement.

Beth smiled shyly, her head low, as she reached out and adjusted the fabric properly over herself. She drew it up to her chin, enjoying the warmth that the item immediately shrouded her in. It was wonderful and, before, she didn't realise just how cold she was. She snuggled into the poncho with a sigh.

She felt Daryl move and could see him looking at her out the corner of her eye and she realised she must look like a total idiot; face buried in the poncho he had just given her.

Daryl was looking at her with obvious amusement, "Y' alright?"

"Aren't _you_ cold now?" Beth asked, ignoring his question, "It's freezing."

Daryl shrugged, "Nah."

"You have goosebumbs," Beth stated, nodding down towards his arms.

Daryl followed her nod down to his arms, lifting one of them and noticing the little bumps that were illuminated in the firelight. He shrugged again, letting his arm drop back down.

Beth shuffled in closer to him, so she was pressed against him, and he looked back at her again. She met his eyes and gave him a smile, lifting the poncho and shaking it out, "Big enough for both of us, right?"

Daryl looked uncomfortable as she draped it back down so it was covering the both of them, though she had to press in closer still so that it would do so. Daryl shifted awkwardly where he sat and Beth felt him draw his knees back up to his chest.

Beth chuckled slightly at his obvious discomfort and smiled at him. He looked at her, not smiling back, but his eyes softened as they held her gaze. And, after a moment, Beth leaned her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes. She felt him draw in a breath and then his body relaxed, the tension he was holding seeming to leave it.

"Beth."

His voice was quiet, slightly uncertain.

She didn't look up or open her eyes when she spoke; "Yeah?"

There was a pause before he spoke again; "I'm glad you're here."

Beth's eyes opened at that, her head lifting slightly in his direction, the openness of his statement surprising her. And she couldn't help but remember the last time he had stunned her in a similar way, with that same vulnerable openness, back in the mortuary. She bit her lip, remembering the moment, wondering if she should bring it up, and, if she were, what would she say?

She didn't know.

Beth felt her fingertips accidentally brush the back of his hand. She hesitated, before allowing them to run over it again with slightly more pressure, slightly more precision. His hand remained still and she curled her fingers back, feeling slightly embarrassed.

Why was she embarrassed? She had felt perfectly comfortable with it before.

After a second, she felt the back of his hand nudge hers slightly.

She bit her lip and turned hers, letting it slip into his, their fingers intertwining the way they had in the graveyard some weeks before. She felt his hand squeeze hers slightly before she felt him moved as he leant his head back against the trunk.

Beth smiled, a sense of warm relief washing over her at the realisation that her earlier worries had been unfounded. And Daryl still felt as close to her as he had before, when it had just been the two of them, even if he didn't seem to know how to handle that around the group.

It didn't matter. Moments like this, they were enough for her.

Beth answered his squeeze with a returning one of her own, before she leaned her head back against his shoulder, closing her eyes once again.

Only moments later she felt the soft pull of slumber tugging at her consciousness, being finally able to close her eyes without thinking or worrying or seeing things she didn't want to see.

Instead, she found herself basking in the quiet contentment of the moment, just appreciating the warmth of this strange attachment she and Daryl had developed, as sleep finally claimed her.


	2. Day Two

"Maybe we should just look for rabbits instead."

Daryl felt a smile tug at his lips, Beth's impatience at the task at hand very evident even if she had been trying to appear positive for the past couple of hours. He pulled back the branches of the bushes that blocked the way, urging her on with a nod.

Beth had jumped at the chance of accompanying him earlier that day, much to Maggie's surprise, when he had announced he was going on a hunt. In fact, most of the group had seemed curious when they prepared to set off. The only exception to that was Michonne, and Daryl guessed that was because she had come across the two of them together under the tree when she came to take over watch. She hadn't said anything, just raised an eyebrow, gave him a grin and sat down beneath another one nearby.

Daryl had just ignored her until Beth woke up, almost immediately striking up a conversation with the other woman when she did, and then he excused himself to take a piss.

Rick had come across him almost immediately following that and had expressed his concern that he didn't think the food provisions they had gathered at the store were going to last them much longer. Everyone was starving, having barely received anything to keep them going while at Terminus, and it was evident they were becoming physically weaker for it.

They needed to find more food quick, preferably before the weather turned. And with one of the cars out of action and two people not up to travelling on foot, hunting was their best bet.

"Set up traps for small game yesterday," Daryl stated, as he followed her, "We can check them on the way back. Even if they caught anything, a few rabbits ain't gonna be enough, 'specially not with the weather about to turn."

Beth fell back into step with him, so they walked side by side, as she lifted her eyes skyward, "You think it'll snow?"

Daryl shrugged, "Cold enough."

"Snow. I used to like the idea of it, back when I was a kid. I'd see the movies where everyone would be all wrapped up tight and go outside and make snowmen and snow angels and have snowball fights," Beth drew her cardigan tighter around herself, "When I was twelve Shawn invited us up to Boston while he was on break after the holidays. He went to college there. It snowed the whole time. I hated it."

Beth often did that. Dropped little stories from before the turn; stories about things she did, people she loved. Even when she was complaining about something, something like snow, there was always that underlying thread of love and family. There was always a brightness that shone through them.

He didn't always know how to respond. Most of the time he didn't need to. She'd just look at him, give him a smile and move on. She was happy just to know he was listening. For him, just being around her was enough. Her hopefulness was astonishing and overwhelming to him; she was so completely untouched by all the crap that life was throwing their way.

His relationship with Beth wasn't something he was quite sure about yet. He only knew she was important to him. That if he had to die protecting her, he would. Nothing could happen to this girl. He enjoyed her company; could spend all day with her. Hell, he had _fun_ with her. Sometimes, when he was with her, it was easy to forget all the crap they were up against. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing; wasn't sure if that made him stronger, wasn't sure if it made him weak.

"When Glenn gets back from the run we'll start heading out, start looking for a house or somethin' to set up in before it gets bad," Daryl stated, as he knelt down to brush away some leaves that covered the tracks they were following, "Rick says that girl's gettin' pretty bad, Tara right? Till Glenn gets back with those meds, we're gonna have to stay put," he indicated at the ground with a nod where he still crouched, "See anythin'?"

Beth nodded, remaining standing, "More tracks. Some acorns."

Daryl lifted one, "Half chewed. Must of gotten spooked," he used it to point slightly to the left, "Took off in a hurry."

His lips twitched again when he saw Beth's shoulders drop slightly. He straightened back up, dropping the acorn to the ground, "You didn't have to come."

Her eyes met his sharply. She frowned slightly and jutted out her chin, "I didn't say I don't want to be here." She rolled her eyes, "Just when you said you'd teach me how to hunt I thought there'd be a bit more _hunting."_

"We are huntin'," Daryl stated, offering her a slightly wry smile, as he adjusted his crossbow and stepped by her and headed in the direction he had indicated, "You're thinkin' about shootin'."

Beth shrugged, as she stepped into pace beside him, "I was getting good at it before. Figured we'd keep training."

"Y' wanted to track before too," Daryl waved a hand at the ground, "How about you lead us the rest of the way?"

Beth looked hesitant for only a second before she seemed to notice a challenge in his words. She shrugged and stepped ahead of him, carefully examining the ground at their feet as they moved.

XXX

Beth was exhausted. And hungry. Her neck was stiff from the way she had slept on Daryl's shoulder the night before. And, more than anything, she wanted to wash. Tyreese and Rick had been bringing up buckets of water to boil just as she and Daryl had left, some for washing, most for drinking. Daryl had only waited long enough to bottle some of the boiled water for them to take on the hunt and she hadn't wanted to waste time insisting he wait until she had washed up.0

She was pretty sure Daryl would tease her if she grumbled about any of these things. She could barely even remember the last time she had seen Daryl washed or without mud all over him. And she was pretty sure he didn't get any sleep the night before, as he hadn't woken her when Michonne had arrived to take over watch.

She brushed her fingers through the hair that had fallen from her ponytail, "So, what, I'm not allowed to use your crossbow anymore?"

Daryl raised his eyes from the ground to meet hers. He held her look for a moment before that slight smile appeared, "You want it?" He let it slip from his shoulder, down to his elbow, "It's heavy, remember. You wanna carry it another two miles?"

" _Two miles?_ I thought you said it was close!"

For a moment she thought he was actually going to laugh, something she had never seen in the whole time she had known him, but he didn't and instead he let the bow slip further so he was holding it out to her with his hand, "Kiddin'. Here. We're close, you might as well be ready."

Beth hesitated, before reaching out, taking it with both hands, "But…if I miss, I'll just scare it away."

Daryl scoffed, urging her on with a gentle tap against her side, "You won't."

She made to walk on but was stopped when she felt Daryl's hand clamp down on her shoulder, stilling her. She turned her head sharply to look at him over her shoulder, surprised at the possessiveness of the gesture, but he kept his eyes forward and nodded ahead. She followed his look, seeing a small gathering of walkers not too far in the distance heading towards them.

Daryl tightened his grip on her shoulder, pulling her backwards slightly, and put a finger to his lips before he led her in the other direction, down a small slope towards the river that ran through the woods.

Daryl nodded at the assemblage of boulders and rocks that the river ran through, before he gave her a push into the water. The two of them walked through it, which reached just above their ankles, careful not to make any splashes, before kneeling down to hide behind a particularly large one just as the first of the walkers came into view.

They stayed there a while, huddled and peering over the top of their stone hiding place, as the threat walked by. It was several minutes before it seemed the area was clear and, even then, they remained where they were for a little while longer just to be sure. Beth couldn't help but notice that Daryl's hand remained clasped on her shoulder as he crouched behind her. His touches had become frequent following their incidents at the cabin, before she was taken, but since they had been reunited a few days before he had seemed to make a point of keeping himself hands-off. Until the night before, that was, when she had initiated their contact once again.

She liked it. She liked the small touches, the way he'd guide her with a tap, or a nudge. But he hadn't ever held onto her like this before, with an air of clutching protectiveness, and she felt herself warm under his touch and a strange tightening in her belly, fluttering away inside. She leaned back into him, hesitantly, so that the length of his forearm pressed against the back of her neck and shoulders.

The movement seemed to jolt him, make him realise what he was doing, and his hand dropped from her shoulder quickly before she felt him take a step back. She turned herself, so she could face him, meeting his eyes as she did so. He held her look for a moment, looking contemplative for a second, before his eyes seemed to darken and pierce right into her. It was only a second, before his eyes dropped and he stepped back further.

"Come on, ain't got much time. Be gettin' dark soon," he turned his back to her and began walking back towards the bank, "Guess we know now what scared away dinner."

Beth watched after him for a moment before following, the strange feeling in her belly still fluttering away, and she was embarrassed to associate the sensation with that old cliché of butterflies.

Daryl Dixon had just given her butterflies.

All at once, the thought was embarrassing and confusing; thrilling and terrifying.

XXX

"You want to know if I did it. I did."

For the most part, Daryl had managed to avoid this conversation. Since the reunions some days before, he had spent most of his time either in close proximity to Beth or out on the hunt, both of which meant that Carol hadn't really sought out his company. Part of him had wanted to confront her about what happened outright; but another part of him was frightened of the answer.

"Why?"

As far as he knew, the only others who knew about what happened with Karen and David were Rick, Maggie and Tyreese. Tyreese, for whom the betrayal was surely the biggest, had apparently found it within himself to forgive her.

"They were a threat. Someone had to do something."

"Someone _was_ doing something."

"Not enough. Not fast enough."

The woman before him was so far removed from the one he had met two years previously. That quiet, meek, submissive housewife; the caring, confident woman she had then become. Neither of these women stood before him now.

The woman before him was cold, indifferent. Had now become so focused on survival that she had betrayed and undermined everything that the group had been trying to build. A family. A home.

"The longer we waited, the more danger the group was in."

It wasn't that he didn't understand. He did. Sometimes hard decisions had to be made; sometimes sacrifices had to be made. But Karen and David were their people too; people who trusted them to keep them safe. They were good people. Good people who might have lived; who died under his watch. Killed by one of the people he trusted most.

"Someone had to do something."

Yet she wasn't sorry.

How could he not have seen it? What was happening. What she was becoming.

Daryl raised his eyes to Carol's; "Not that."

The two of them held one another's eyes for a moment before Daryl dropped his to the ground and took a few backwards steps away from her, turning and heading back to the camp where everyone else was settling down for the night.

The hurt in Carol's expression was evident as he walked away, and he felt a pang of regret and sadness that he forced himself to push aside. Carol was his friend but what she did had been wrong; it had been a betrayal. And, worse than that, it was something he could never have imagined her doing. The woman he had known would never have done it. He barely recognised her any longer and yet he could not even recall when he had lost her.

He was exhausted, wanting nothing more than to lay down in the mud and sleep but he doubted it would come easy that night. Upon entering the camp, he was relieved to find Rick already taking position for first watch, thereby granting him the opportunity to at least _try._

His plans to drop down to sleep were halted, however, when he took notice of Beth adjusting herself on one of the plastic sheets that had been placed along the ground of the camp for those not sleeping in the tents. She was drawing up the blanket she appeared to have obtained over her waist as he reached her.

"What are you doin'?"

Beth looked up at him sharply, appearing startled at his sudden appearance at her side. She frowned and gave the blanket she was holding a double take before she raised her eyebrows; "Uh, sleeping? Or fixing up to, anyways."

"Sleepin'? You'll freeze t' death out here."

Beth rolled her eyes, as if he were making a joke, laying back to lean on her arms as she looked up at him; "I told Maggie to take my place in the tent. Her leg's still bothering her a lot and, with Glenn not here, made more sense for her to have the shelter than me." She shrugged again; "'sides, it's not _that_ cold."

"I can see your breath."

"I have a blanket," she tugged it up to her chest, "No different than last night; I slept outside then too and you didn't object nothing to it then."

"That wasn't the same," Daryl pointed out, "We were both under that poncho; body heat woulda kept ya warm." Daryl hesitated, suddenly feeling awkward. Beth, who had been studying the pattern of her blanket while he shifted, raised her eyes to his and quirked a smile at him.

"Trying t'say you wanna join me?"

Beth was grinning as if what she had just said was the most hilarious thing in the world. Quite frankly, he didn't think it was. The mere suggestion of it only increased his awkwardness and he wanted to both walk and stay at the same time.

Suddenly, the quiet was broken by her soft giggles; "Daryl, I'm kidding."

Daryl rolled his eyes, "I know you are, girl." He shook his head, starting to walk away, muttering as he did so; "Join you. Pft."

There was still that melodic giggle laced through her words as she called after him, "Goodnight."

"Night."


	3. Day Three

"I would've done the same thing."

Bullshit.

"Sure you woulda."

Beth didn't turn her head at the dubious retort, the only indication that she even heard being the way her eyes flicked to the side in his direction from their focus over the top of the crossbow. After a second she pulled the trigger, sending the bolt flying through the air and hitting the trunk of the tree, just above the handkerchief he had attached to it as a target.

He heard a small puff of indignation escape her, her shoulders dropping as she lowered the crossbow. She stared at the offending bolt in disappointment for a second, before she turned and held the bow out to him to reload.

Daryl pushed himself up off of the rock he had been leaning against, taking it from her before she walked towards the tree to retrieve the bolt.

"They were your people. I get it," she stated, as she returned back to him. He handed her the newly-loaded crossbow as she handed him the previously-used bolt.

Daryl raised it up, inspecting it as he spoke, "They were _our_ people."

"But yours to protect, right?" she went on, raising an eyebrow, as she took a few steps backwards, turning as she did so and returning back to her previous position; "That's what's bothering you."

Beth did that a lot. Picked up on what he was feeling. That was bad enough, that she could read him like that, but she was never happy to just leave it at that. She always had to call him out. Always had to push him. Make him think about it just a little more, make him face up to the root of the issue.

"Maybe I just think what she did was wrong."

"Hmm," she raised the crossbow again, leaning her head forward to take aim; "Nope."

"You don't think it was wrong?"

She rolled her eyes, allowing her arms to drop and the crossbow to fall so that it was supported at waist height as she turned to look at him; "Yeah. Course I do. We don't kill the living right?" She looked thoughtful for a second, before turning back to lift the crossbow again; "Not the good ones, anyway." She shook her head, "But that ain't all that's bothering you."

"That right?"

"You didn't see it coming."

The matter of fact way with which she was speaking was unnerving. The fact that she was right only made it more so. He had never had anyone like this; had someone who knew him like this.

"What you on about?" he grumbled, crossing his arms across his chest.

"You're blaming yourself," she said, shaking her head as she did so, though she kept her focus on her target over the crossbow; "Like you do all the time; wondering why you didn't see how she's changed."

"Why d'you do that?"

Her lips quirked and she shrugged; "Don't blame me, ain't my fault I can read you like a book."

Daryl grunted, before pushing himself off the rock again to approach her, "I'm talkin' about your shootin'."

"What's wrong with my shooting?"

"We've been out here all this time and you ain't even come close to hittin' the target," Daryl stated, as he stepped in next to her.

"Well it's a bit hard without a scope, Daryl," she turned her head only slightly to glare at him.

"You're takin' too long takin' aim," he added, before he tapped her against the stomach, briefly, making her jump, "And you're leaning forward too much, it's keepin' you off-balance."

"It only takes you a second to fire a shot, are _you_ always on balance when you do it?" came her retort.

Daryl rolled his eyes, placing one hand on her stomach and another between her shoulder blades, "Straighten up."

He heard her sigh as she did so, readjusting her positioning, before he let his hands fall back to his sides. He nodded at the target.

"'kay, go."

A second later, the bolt was fired, this time landing even higher up the trunk and away from the target than the previous one.

"Why you doin' that?"

"What?" she lowered the crossbow, looking at him in, what appeared to be, irritation yet, and he wasn't sure if he was imagining it, there seemed to be a glint of amusement in her eyes and a slight smile playing around her lips.

"You're anticipatin' the shot," Daryl stated, pushing the thought aside, "You ain't done that since we first started trainin'."

Beth handed the crossbow over to him to reload, rolling her eyes as she did so, before walking back towards the tree to retrieve the bolt, "You're just getting cranky because I'm calling you out."

"I ain't cranky," Daryl grumbled, his tone tensing as he pulled the string back to cock the bow, letting out a puff of air once he'd done so, "If I didn't want your opinion I never woulda told ya in the first place."

Beth's expression softened into a smile as she walked back to him. She held out the bolt to him. He reached out to take it from her, their fingers brushing against one another's when she held on longer than necessary.

Daryl felt himself warm as their hands lingered, lifting unsure eyes to hers and only finding her studying him when he did so. Her expression was earnest and open, holding onto his before she allowed her hand to fall. Daryl swallowed, lowering his eyes, before she reached out and took the crossbow from his other hand.

"Like I said, I would've done the same thing," she lifted the crossbow to take aim, "It'll just take time that's all. You'll trust her again, don't worry."

The look she had just given him had thrown him. He felt warm and as if he was going to shiver at the same time and, quite frankly, what had happened with Carol the night before was the last thing on his mind now.

Daryl crossed his arms; standing closer to her than before he could look at her closely as she prepared to shoot. Could take in the way the little wisps of blonde hair framed the sides of her face, the way she bit lightly on her bottom lip, the concentrated furrow of her brow above her blue eyes.

Studying her like this was doing nothing to help the warmth that was spreading through him.

She was beautiful.

He supposed he'd always known that. Anyone who had met ever her could tell you that. It wasn't even really the first time he had thought it. But he _felt_ it now. Felt it somewhere deep inside; this girl's beauty was incredible.

Beth's eyes flicked up to meet his and he felt his heart beat faster.

Beth Greene was throwing him completely off balance. He wasn't sure what it meant. He wasn't even sure if he liked it. But, for some reason, he didn't want it to stop.

"What?" she smiled.

Daryl cleared his throat, before he nodded at the bow, attempting to regain his thoughts; "You're jerking the trigger."

"I haven't even shot the bolt yet."

"I can tell it's what you're gonna do," Daryl said, nodding at her finger, "You haven't started pulling yet."

Beth sighed, shaking her head, before she raised an eyebrow, "Well, maybe if you'd just _show_ me then it might save us some time?"

Daryl hesitated, staring at her, wondering exactly what it was she was asking him to do. She still kept a tight hold of the crossbow, not holding it out to him for a demonstration. Instead, she looked at him expectantly, before glancing behind herself briefly and looking back at him.

Daryl held her look for a moment, before nodding and walking the few steps to stand behind her. He swallowed when he was stood there, before hesitantly reaching around her, his arms surrounding her from behind and easily reaching her hands to cover them with his. Daryl thought he felt her release a breath, not quite a sigh, as he carefully leaned forward so his head leaned over her shoulder.

Daryl started to speak, his words catching in his throat as he did so. He cleared his throat, before trying again; "Okay, you see the target?"

He began the instruction though his mind was still in a haze. His heart still beat faster than what he would consider normal, he felt distractingly warm in his own skin and the feel of her in his arms just felt too damn right. And wrong.

Daryl couldn't shake the feeling that, while here they were, practicing weapon shooting, the two of them were actually starting to engage in a _something_ that was far more daring and dangerous.

XXX

Okay, so Beth didn't plan on this. Not really. She hadn't, _intentionally_ , allowed herself to shoot the bolts higher than the target. And she hadn't, _intentionally_ , made sure that her shooting technique went completely against what Daryl had told her about it in their first lessons, weeks and weeks before.

Well. Maybe.

But she hadn't predicted _this_. That she would end up standing here, holding the crossbow, with Daryl's arms wrapped around her, her back against his chest and his breath against her cheek as he spoke.

She wasn't really sure what she had been expecting or, even, what she had wanted. The day before, when she had felt his hand upon her shoulder and the butterflies he had given her, had played on her mind for the rest of the day and she had found herself thinking about it long into the night after she had laid down to sleep. Was it that she just wanted to get that feeling back?

Well, she certainly got her wish if that was her aim. Her stomach was fluttering away once again and the feel of his arms around her was giving her shivers up and down her spine.

Meanwhile, Daryl was talking away carefully and constructively, telling her the correct way to aim and pull the trigger, completely oblivious to her girlish thoughts.

Truth be told, she was starting to feel a bit silly about it all.

That morning, she had intentionally sought him out without _noticeably_ seeking him out, by placing herself in areas that she knew he would come upon eventually. It was silly. They were friends. Good friends, actually. And yet, for some reason, she had felt too nervous to just approach him directly.

Why? This was _Daryl._

She had spent weeks with him, alone with him, not all that long ago. They had been completely comfortable with one another; she would have approached him then without a single thought. Now, though, she _wanted_ to approach, to be around him, but, for some reason, felt embarrassed and nervous about wanting to.

"You ain't even listenin'."

Beth was jolted from her thoughts by the accusatory tone in Daryl's voice. She turned her head, meeting his eyes; "What? I am."

"What did I just say then?"

She quickly tried to cast her mind back, trying to process the words he had been speaking almost directly into her ear just seconds before, "Um…"

"How'd you expect to learn if you don't pay attention?"

Beth's eyes narrowed, "You don't have to be so patronising about it."

Daryl grunted, his hands falling from hers to rest on her forearms as she lowered the bow, "You just asked me to show you." His arms stayed around her, loosely, his face close as he spoke to her, but the intimacy of their pose was undermined by the irritation in his expression.

"This ain't a game, Beth. You gotta know this stuff."

"Stop talking to me like that," she glared at him.

"Like what?"

"Like I'm just some…kid."

Something strange flashed in Daryl's eyes at the accusation, too fast for her to pinpoint what it was, before his expression hardened; "I _don't_ think you're a damn kid."

The words seemed to be loaded with a meaning that Beth couldn't quite make sense of. But the intensity in his eyes and his words couldn't be denied as they stared one another down. After a moment, his eyes dropped and he stepped away from her hastily, his arms falling from her in a quick motion that left her bereft of his warmth and those butterflies that had started to circle whenever he touched her.

"C'mon. It's getting late. Should head back to camp," Daryl said without looking at her, as he started to stash the bolts in the backpack they had brought with them.

Beth wasn't sure why this frustration abruptly welled up within her, or why she suddenly felt immensely irritated with him, but she heard herself huff before she could stop herself, before she turned back to the tree they had been aiming at, lifting the crossbow as she did so. She began the slow pull of the trigger as she started taking aim, just as he had told her weeks before.

A second later, the bolt fired, hitting the target, not quite in the bull's eye but close enough that it would be considered a successful hit. She lowered the crossbow with a proud smile, before turning to see Daryl's surprised and confused face.

She quirked an eyebrow, "See? I _was_ listening."

And, with that, she swung the crossbow into his arms and walked by him, heading back towards the camp, leaving an incredibly baffled Daryl in her wake.


	4. Day Four

Daryl had never really been in a fight with a woman before but he'd heard all about it from the guys he used to roll with before all the shit went down. Sometimes the guy didn't have a clue what they'd done wrong, but for some reason the woman was giving the cold shoulder or snarking at him for some reason or another.

Was that what was happening here?

It seemed like it was, because he had absolutely no clue what he had done to set Beth off the day before. She'd spent the rest of the evening with Maggie after they had gotten back to camp, her arriving a little before him after the way she had stormed off; after she had thrown that ridiculous accusation his way.

He _did not_ think she was a kid.

Just the idea of it was ludicrous in light of the way he had been feeling as he'd had his arms wrapped around her. He wasn't entirely sure _what_ he thought of her but _kid_ certainly wasn't in the ballpark.

The girl messed him up. _That_ he pretty much _was_ sure about.

He'd spent the rest of the night while he was on watch attempting to figure out exactly what he'd said to piss her off so bad and could come up with nothing; probably because at the time it happened he'd been heady with the feel of her in his arms, the softness of her hair brushing against his cheek, while he tried to focus on the damned target they were supposed to be aiming for.

He'd been more than a little annoyed when he'd looked and noticed she wasn't even paying attention to anything he was saying, after it'd been such a challenge for him just to form a coherent sentence.

Apparently him calling her out, like she so often did to him, just wasn't something that was considered acceptable. He could feel his frustration and irritation grow with the thought.

It was now well after noon and he had not yet come across her. Normally, since the reunion almost a week before, she was never outwith his line of sight unless she was sleeping or he was hunting. And the past few days she'd seemed to consciously want to seek him out.

This was stupid.

If she didn't want to be around him, what should it matter? Wasn't like they hadn't just spent the past two days together almost twenty-four-seven or something. If anything, he should be glad of the peace.

At least, that's what he told himself while at the same time he couldn't help his eyes skimming over the camp again, looking for a glimpse of her.

"You alright?"

Daryl's head jerked up and he saw Michonne approaching the tree he had been leaning against for the past fifteen minutes.

He gave a single nod in response.

"You look a little lost," she remarked, and Daryl could tell there was a hint of amusement on her lips.

"Just thinkin'."

"That's new."

"Funny."

"You looking for Beth? She's down by the creek with Maggie."

Daryl crossed his arms across his chest, eyeing her warily, "Why would I be looking for Beth?"

Michonne held his look for a moment, before smiling wide and nodding her head, "Mhmm," she chuckled, "Right." And then walked on by towards where Sasha and Eugene were sitting.

Was he really that transparent?

The thought made him uncomfortable. The last thing he wanted was the group to start questioning his relationship with Beth, particularly when he wasn't entirely sure of it himself. They were friends. They were close. Though he couldn't help the uneasiness he felt around her, down to her easy way of reading him; she could just listen to something he had to say and then come back with a response telling him what it was he was feeling before he even knew he was feeling that way in the first place.

It was unnerving and new. This person, this girl, who just _knew_ him.

It was none of the group's business, anyway. Wasn't like he went around poking his nose in anyone else's business.

Daryl shook his head, pushing thoughts of Beth to the back of his mind. It didn't do any good to dwell or overthink on things, especially considering she apparently wasn't even speaking to him anymore anyways so the whole thing was a waste of time.

Instead, he resolved to just let it go and headed off to start skinning the rabbits that were waiting to be prepared for dinner.

Which was what he was doing some time later when Beth approached, Judith balanced on her hip; "Hey."

Daryl looked up at her sharply, surprised at her company. He nodded at her, "Hey."

Beth was smiling at him. _Smiling._ This was unexpected.

She adjusted Judith on her hip, glancing down at her, "Rick asked me to take Judy a while; he went out to check the traps with Carl this morning. Wanted to show him more about setting them up."

Daryl only nodded again in response, completely thrown by the blitheness of her behaviour. She raised an eyebrow at him, "You okay?"

Daryl frowned, "Why wouldn't I be?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. You're acting weird."

If he'd been confused before, he was completely confounded now. Had he really just spent all night and morning worrying about a fight they hadn't even had? This was unbelievable. Women were mind-boggling. _Beth_ was mind-boggling.

Why had she made such a big deal about it if she wasn't even bothered?

Daryl met her eyes after a moment, shrugging and shaking his head, "'m fine."

A tension seemed to leave her body at that, as she noticeably relaxed at his response.

XXX

So, perhaps huffing with Daryl the day before wasn't exactly her proudest moment. Particularly considering she had gotten it into her head that he thought of her as a child. Storming off and ignoring him all evening wasn't exactly a grand demonstration of maturity. Nor was it something she would normally do.

Beth was beginning to wonder if she was losing her mind. The constantly wanting to spend time with him, accidentally but deliberately just happening upon him, thinking about him constantly, the over-sensitivity to the way he was speaking to her. That wasn't her.

She had grumbled about what had happened to Maggie that evening, when they were alone by the fire. Maggie had laughed and said she'd given Glenn the silent treatment more than once when they were just starting out.

The statement had shaken her. It wasn't the same thing; she and Daryl weren't the same as Maggie and Glenn.

It wasn't like how things had been with Jimmy, where her friends had told her he fancied her and he'd asked her to the formal. It wasn't like it had been with Zach, when he had brought her flowers and flirted with her and made that embarrassing scene in front of the whole prison group at dinner, telling them he never knew there were any pretty girls left in the world until he had met her.

All these things that preceded her relationships; that wasn't her and Daryl. They were just friends.

Beth had said as much to her sister. Maggie had looked at her in surprise; "Uh, yeah. I know that." But there was something in her sister's eyes that suggested otherwise, like she knew something but Beth wasn't sure what.

Daryl Dixon just bewildered her. Ever since they'd found one another again, one minute he would be warm and open, the next he was distant and pulling away. It was a puzzling push and pull that she couldn't quite make sense of and the added confusion over the way he was making her feelonly made it worse.

Beth placed Judith on the ground, before sitting down behind her and pulling the baby to sit between her crossed legs. She nodded at the rabbits; "Just three, huh?"

Daryl nodded, as he finished off preparing the last one; "Yeah. Not much."

Beth touched her chin to the top of Judith's head, lightly, eyeing the food in disappointment; "Y'know it's Christmas soon?"

Daryl met her eyes and shook his head; "Don't keep much track of time. No point anymore."

Beth shrugged, looking down to her side, fiddling with the hem of Judith's cardigan, "Yeah, guess not."

"How'd you know it's December?" He set the rabbit aside and made to pour some water over his hands to wash the blood from them.

Her eyes flicked up to meet his, "Oh. Um…Terminus." Daryl's eyes darkened at the reminder. "They kept track. Gareth mentioned it."

Daryl only grunted in response, before his attention turned to Judith who was wiggling to free herself from Beth's arms. Beth smiled, lifting the baby to stand unsteadily on her feet, keeping her hands lightly against her sides.

Daryl chuckled, a rare sound for his lips, his attention fully on the baby, "Standin' eh? Gettin' all grown up now, Little Asskicker."

"Uh, Rick doesn't want us calling her that anymore," Beth pointed out, with a laugh in her own voice, "Now she's almost talking."

"Hmm."

"She's walking," Beth added, pressing a kiss to the baby's cheek.

Daryl kept his eyes on Judith, not answering the statement, though he tilted his head to the side before holding his hands out to her, as if asking for a demonstration. Judith smiled brightly at his attention, giving an excited laugh, before she awkwardly toddled forward and crossed the distance from Beth's arms to his. Daryl scooped her up and settled her on his knee.

Beth smiled, watching on as Daryl commended Judith on her walking abilities. The sight wasn't all that unfamiliar considering the times he would often visit to see the baby at the prison, but it still warmed her to see the, usually, guarded man holding the infant in his arms.

"We missed her birthday," Beth remarked, sadly, "Would've liked to have done somethin' for her."

Daryl met her eyes then and nodded, "Yeah. Think we all woulda."

Beth scooted closer, reaching out to stroke the back of Judith's hair, "It's horrible. How much Rick missed while we were all separated."

Daryl shrugged, "Coulda been worse. He thought it was," he added, as he lifted Judith so that she was standing up in front of him again, "She sayin' anything yet?"

Beth shook her head, "I don't know, Carl never said. I don't think so. She hasn't said anything to me."

A slight smile played on Daryl's lips as he leaned forward, "What's your first word gonna be, huh, Little A-"

"Daryl," Beth laughed, interrupting him. He glanced at her, his eyes warm and a smile still playing on his lips.

Daryl kept his attention on the baby for a while, leaving Beth to contently watch as she settled herself against the log that Daryl was sitting on.

Even when they weren't filling their silences with words, she still enjoyed just being in his company. Just knowing he was there, that he was with her and wanted to be there, made her feel warmer. It wasn't something she had ever really felt before, this thing she had with him.

As she felt herself relax, her stomach rumbled, reminding her of the ever-present sensation of hunger that she, and everyone in the camp, had learned they had to live with.

Daryl heard it, turning his attention to her with concern and amusement warring in his expression, "When'd you last eat?"

Beth shrugged, "This morning."

"What you have?"

"Carl gave me a candy bar before they left."

Concern won out, it seemed, from the way his expression sobered, "What about the squirrels from yesterday? There was still some left this mornin'."

"I'm fine. We'll be having dinner soon." She motioned in the direction of the rabbits.

Daryl's looked at the rabbits in disapproval, "Yeah. Three rabbits between all of us." He lifted Judith up onto his knee, "I'll have to go on a proper hunt. Maybe go out for a couple of days. Can't go on like this."

"Rick and Carl might've had some luck," Beth pointed out.

Daryl shook his head, "Won't matter. How long would that last? 'nother day or so, maybe. Need something to keep us going for a while. Least until Glenn gets back."

Beth was quiet, knowing that he was right. Food was running low and the weather was getting colder by the day. With the first car out of action, there wasn't much else they could do.

Beth sighed, leaning back more fully against the log, as Daryl slid down from when he was perched to sit down alongside her; "Seems like all we do lately is plan out how we're going to eat. When we're going to eat. _If_ we're going to eat."

Daryl shrugged, "Way things are now."

Beth nodded as she glanced down, taking in Judith who sat between his legs playing with a stick she'd picked up from the ground, "Yeah. It's funny. Sometimes I think about all the things I remember from before. All the things I miss."

She lifted her eyes to his and raised her eyebrows, "First place goes to food."

Daryl's lips quirked.

She chuckled, rolling her eyes and turning herself again, resting her head back against the hard surface behind her.

"Bear claws," she said after a moment.

"Huh?"

She looked at him with a smile, "Y'know. Bear claws. The pastries."

"I know what bear claws are," he scoffed, "Just didn't know what you were goin' on about."

"They're what I miss most," Beth elaborated, with a confident nod, "My mom used to make them. With cinnamon and honey." She closed her eyes, "I loved 'em."

The two of them were quiet; the only sounds between them were the soft gurgles Judith made as she scrunched up the leaves in front of her.

"I don't miss nothin'."

Beth turned her head to look at him, the sincerity in his voice surprising her. He held her look for a moment, the openness of his expression conveying the truth of his statement, only offering a shrug as an elaboration of what he had said.

She had the sudden urge to lean over and wrap her arms around him, much like she had several months before when they had been back at the prison and he had opened up to her then. But she didn't. For some reason she felt that hugging him now would be loaded with so much more than just comfort.

The two of them sat there a little longer, both of them entertained when Daryl stood Judith back up and encouraged her to walk back and forward between his knees.

"Daryl?"

"Mm?"

"Can I come with ya?"

He turned his head to look at her, questioning her with his eyes.

"On the hunt," she elaborated.

Daryl looked hesitant for a moment, as he considered the question. After a moment he shrugged, responding with a grumbled, "Wouldn't bother me."

Beth smiled.

"Long as you don't run off on me again."


	5. Day Six: Day

"So I'm just supposed to be okay with my little sister running off into the woods overnight with some guy?"

"I'll be fine. It's Daryl; he knows how to keep us safe out there."

The two of them were alone in the tent, Maggie lying on top of the blanket behind her, watching as she stuffed her supplies into the backpack she was taking, "Yeah, because whether or not he can keep you safe is what I'm worried about."

It was the second time Maggie had dropped less than subtle hints that she thought there was something more going on between them. If she did have something to say, Beth wished her sister would just come and say it so that she could set her straight. There _wasn't_ anything going on.

"Just think you oughta be careful, that's all."

Beth stopped in her movements, the blanket she had been pushing into the pack still hanging out as she looked back over at her with a frown, "What do you mean?"

Maggie gave her a look, "You know what I mean."

"No?"

Maggie shook her head, "Don't go playing innocent with me, you know more than you like to let on about boys and hormones."

"Maggie," Beth felt herself reddening as she turned back to her packing.

"Hey," Maggie sat up, hitting her gently on the arm as she did so, making Beth look back at her, "Just because _you_ think it's all innocent doesn't mean he does."

Beth shot her sister a look over her shoulder, "It's _Daryl,_ Maggie, he doesn't think like that."

" _All_ guys think that like, Beth."

"Whatever," Beth rolled her eyes, turning back to her packing, while at the same time unable to help her mind rolling over what Maggie had said and wondering whether or not it was possible that Daryl _did_ think more of what was going on between them.

Unbidden, the memory of those final moments together in the mortuary before she was taken came to her mind. The way he had looked at her, right into her, with an expression she had never had directed at her from anyone before. She had wondered then, she remembered, had wanted to hear more, to know what it meant. But since they had reunited there hadn't been anything like that.

He hadn't shown any sign of wanting more; he kept her at arm's length most of the time and any time they got close he became shifty and awkward. When she had made that joke about him joining her under the blanket he had almost run for the hills; surely if he wanted _more_ then he would have done something other than just run away.

Beth felt a strange sinking feeling in her stomach, an aching that she couldn't quite place, as if she was experiencing a loss but a loss of what, she didn't know. Whatever it was, she was pretty sure it was her sister's words that brought it about.

She didn't care if Daryl wanted it. She didn't care if he _didn't_ want it.

She turned annoyed eyes back at her sister, "Sides, even if he _did_ want something like that, it's not like I'd actually give it to him. I'm not _you."_

Maggie's eyes narrowed from where she was observing her, lying back on the blanket, "Oh yeah, _nothing's_ going on. That's why you're getting so pissy about it."

"You don't know anything about it."

"Well then tell me," Maggie pushed herself back up, shifting closer to her.

Beth hesitated because, really, she _did_ want to talk about it with someone. Talk about all this stuff that was swirling around in her head; all these questions, all these confusing feelings that she couldn't quite place or make sense of. But she didn't know where to start, didn't know what she was supposed to say. She didn't know why she was so confused. She didn't know why his touch sent her stomach soaring or why she longed for his company when they were apart and yet was self-conscious about actually seeking it out.

She didn't know why the thought that he would want more, or that she could want more, was so frightening to her.

Beth raised her eyes to her sister's. She swallowed; "I don't know."

Maggie frowned, "Don't know what?"

Beth sighed and shrugged, "I dunno, _anything_. I just…I like being with him. I…" she paused, before the realisation of something she was completely sure of came to her; "I feel safe with him."

Maggie's eyes softened as she regarded her.

Beth looked down, feeling embarrassed by the admission, "That sounds stupid, doesn't it?"

She was startled when Maggie's arms suddenly wrapped around her, one hand pressed against her cheek, holding her tight against her chest. She felt her sister shake slightly as she chuckled, before she answered, "No. You're fine."

Beth didn't really understand what she had said to amuse her, nor to warrant the tight hug she had pulled her into, but she couldn't help the relief that flooded through her as her big sister squeezed her tight and kissed her on the top of the head before releasing her with a smile.

Beth met her eyes, could see an understanding in them that Beth couldn't quite find in herself, and seeing her sister's calm reassurance reflected in her expression made her feel comforted and at ease with what she was feeling for the first time since her confusion over the whole situation had started.

Beth smiled in return, before reaching behind her and pulling the backpack so that it was between them as she finished up her preparations for the trip.

XXX

Beth had been strangely quiet for the first hour or so of their hunt, the two of them walking in almost complete silence as he led them north rather than the direction they had taken some days before the last time she had accompanied him. Her noiselessness was new to him, something he hadn't really experienced before; even when they had first left the prison and he hadn't been open to conversation, she had still persisted with the odd comment here and there.

He wondered if something had happened while he and Rick had been out on the run the day before.

Daryl glanced over at her, noticing the thoughtfulness in her expression, as they carried on through the woods; "Y' alright?"

Beth looked over at him sharply, before she gave what a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, "Yeah."

Daryl regarded her sceptically however before he could decide whether or not to push to find out what was bothering her, a movement up ahead caught his attention.

A squirrel running, and then stopping, half way down a tree trunk.

He stopped, gently taking Beth's arm to stop her with him. He noticed her look at him sharply at the touch, before she realised why he had stopped her. He nodded at her, though she appeared hesitant, instead making to pass the crossbow she was holding to him.

Daryl shook his head, nodding in her direction, before glancing back at the squirrel where it still remained.

He saw Beth swallow before she lifted the crossbow and, taking aim carefully, her brow furrowing as it always did when she focused on what she was targeting.

A second later, the bolt shot through the air.

Daryl turned his attention from her, back to the squirrel, where it now remained in the same place as before with the bolt through its midsection; a perfect hit.

"Oh my gosh," he heard Beth whisper. Before a second, clearer exclamation escaped her, "Oh my gosh! I _got_ it!"

Daryl could feel a smile tugging on his lips, the girlish excitement in her voice both amusing and endearing, as he turned back to face her however, before he could make sense of what was happening, Beth had launched herself into his arms with a sound that was a mixture of a laugh and squeal.

Daryl stepped back, almost knocked off of his feet by the force with which she collided with him, his arms grasping her at her biceps to keep from doing so.

Beth laughed gleefully, the motion making her shake in his arms as she held him tight around the waist, similar to the way she had at the prison several months before. Daryl swallowed, uncertainly and hesitantly tightening the hold he had on her arms. He lowered his chin, so that he could feel the soft wisps of her hair against his lips, could smell her hair and feel the heat radiating from the top of her head.

It was new and strange; they hadn't held one another like this. They hadn't held one another just because they were _happy_ about something.

And he had never held anyone before, in his life, until Beth came along. And while it had been strange and unsettling at first, now he found he could get used to it; he could do this, could live with this, holding her in his arms and just feeling her there. Knowing she was with him.

He could _stay_ like this.

Daryl felt his heart beat faster, the realisation hitting him like a punch, and he found himself letting go abruptly as Beth pulled away, still smiling up at him and standing close.

Panic made him avert his eyes, to the side, then down to the ground and he saw Beth tilt her head to the side as she observed him. He forced himself to meet her eyes, seeing her regarding him contemplatively though her smile still played on her lips and her eyes shined bright.

He gave her a slight smile and nodded, "You did good."

Beth's smile widened and she looked over at it, "Yeah. Should…should I go and get it?"

"Wouldn't be a bad idea," Daryl remarked, earning an eye roll and a smile from her, before she ran over to her catch and tugged it and the bolt from the trunk.

She held it up, a look of disgust on her face as she eyed the squirrel as she walked back to him, "This…this is pretty gross."

A puff of air escaped his lips in amusement, "Yeah, well, wait 'till you see what we're gonna have to do next."

Beth looked up at him sharply before she frowned. He only nodded, confirming what she was asking with her eyes.

Beth's shoulders dropped, "Oh." She glanced back at the dead squirrel in her hand, handing over the bolt she held in her other.

Daryl took it, before nodding over in the direction of a fallen log not far from where they stood, "C'mon. Here'll do."

"Can't we just put it on the belt with the other squirrels you caught?" she asked, hopefully, as she followed him over to the log

"Told ya earlier, gonna have to gut 'em all and cool 'em or they won't keep 'till we get back to camp," Daryl stated, as they reached the log. He dropped his pack onto the ground, before he put a foot on each side of it, before sitting down. Beth mimicked his movements, sitting down across from him so they faced one another, "Sides, you need to know how to do this."

"Field dressing squirrels," Beth placed her catch on the log between them, her revulsion even more evident now that she knew the next step of the hunt, "Yeah."

"You've seen me do it before," Daryl stated, though he doubted she had ever watched closely, as he unclipped one of the other squirrels he had slung over his back and placed it on the log in front of him, "You want me to show you again before you have a go?"

Beth raised her eyes to his, before giving a reluctant nod.

XXX

Of all the things Beth had ever had to do, watching Daryl slowly and precisely drag up the hide of this squirrel from its back legs up to its head, turning its skin inside out, was most definitely the most revolting. She felt nauseated as he sat back down across from her.

"See how my hands are still clean?" he held up one of his hands and she raised disgusted eyes from the squirrel's mutilated body up to his very, very amused ones.

"Congratulations," she quirked an eyebrow and, for the first time, she caught a real smile spread across his lips before he ducked his head and turned his attention back to what he was teaching her.

Beth, despite her disgust at the task at hand, found herself smiling as well, completely taken off guard by the openness of his expression in that second that he had smiled at her. And she decided, if there was anything in this world that she ever had to see before she died, it was to see Daryl Dixon smile at her again.

"Now you can just cut off the head," he brought down his knife, slicing the meat around the neck and then snapped the bone with his hands, effectively doing so, and Beth felt her disgust return to her full force. He raised his eyes, bright with amusement, back to hers, "Then we get to the good stuff."

"Daryl," Beth closed her eyes, "This is so gross."

Daryl reached over, giving her an encouraging pat on the shoulder, "You get used to it." He lifted his knife, "Now, you gotta be careful with this part. Nick any of the innards and you can contaminate the meat, so you gotta pay attention to what I'm doin'."

For the next few excruciating minutes, Beth closely watched as Daryl demonstrated and explained to her in detail the correct way to remove the entrails of a squirrel, finally finishing off by proudly holding up the completed product between them for her to see.

"All done."

Beth hesitated, "Oh."

"Your turn."

She raised her eyes to his, seeing him watching her expectantly. She cleared her throat and nodded, "Okay." She held out her hand.

Daryl looked at her open palm with a frown, before making to place the dressed carcass upon it. Beth snatched her hand back quickly, "Ew, no! The knife!"

"Oh," Daryl's expression continued to show his amusement at her situation, as he placed the carcass back on the log and leaned over to reach into his pack, "Reminds me."

Beth watched with interest as he reached inside and pulled something out, turning it over in his hands before turning and holding it out to her.

She frowned as she looked at it, before taking it from him.

It was a hunting knife. Small, with a wooden handle and pearly white detail at the bottom. A small red ribbon was tied in a bow around the handle.

Beth felt a slow smile spread across her lips, as she raised her eyes to his. He had been watching her, but when she raised her eyes he lowered his, turning his attention to the squirrel he had just dressed, laying it to the side of the log and reaching for another.

"You got this for me?"

Daryl didn't look up as he unclipped another squirrel, only offering a grunt in response, "Mhmph."

"A Christmas present?" she persisted, fingering the little ribbon he had tied around the handle.

Daryl was silent for a moment, placing the next squirrel on the log in front of him, "Found it yesterday when me and Rick were out on the run."

Beth beamed at him, "It has a bow and everything."

"Just get on with it," Daryl waved a hand at her, before finally lifting his eyes to hers.

Beth frowned, looking at the gift he had given her hesitantly, "You want me to use it to dress the squirrel?"

Daryl looked at her strangely, "It's a knife."

"Yeah but…"

"But?"

"I dunno, seems too pretty to use to chop up an animal."

Daryl snorted, "Beth, just gut the squirrel."

Beth let her shoulders drop in mock disappointment that her attempt at dodging had failed however she couldn't help the smile that still spread across her features, the numerous thrills of his gift, her first catch and the feel of Daryl holding her earlier enough to make the upcoming task more than worth the trouble she would have to go through.

She raised her eyes to his, finding him watching her carefully, his own lips tugging at the sides again and she gave him another smile before she rolled her eyes and reached down, preparing to put the lesson he had just taught her to use.


	6. Day Six: Night

Beth was still on a high, hours later, when Daryl finally stopped and said they ought to make camp for the night. The thrill of making her first catch, and the events which followed in the aftermath, had left her more upbeat than she had felt in a long time. And the fact that Daryl had seemed to drop the awkward push, pull attitude that he had adopted around her now that they were away from the rest of the group only heightened her cheerfulness.

He seemed easier with her now, since the events earlier in the day, and his touches had returned to the same frequency that they had been some weeks before, back when it had just been the two of them. Only, now, she was more aware of each of them as he guided her through the woods, each touch warming her and making her new butterfly friends flutter away.

She had endeavoured to put the recent adrenaline to use as Daryl prepared dinner.

Beth grunted, straining as she attempted to pull back the string of the crossbow.

"You're gonna give yourself a hernia."

She gasped, letting the string ping away from her, and turned her attention back to him as she caught her breath, "How can you load this thing?"

"Unless you're plannin' on fittin' in time to do lifts then it's a lost cause," Daryl said, giving her bicep a teasing squeeze, making her smile and lower her eyes.

Beth shrugged, laying the crossbow aside; "Guess I should start training with a different weapon."

"Mhm." Daryl leaned over, holding out the squirrel he had just been roasting over the fire, "Here."

Beth took it with a frown, "All of it? Shouldn't we just share one?"

He shook his head, sliding another stick through a second squirrel, "Nah. You've been holdin' back on food long enough at camp. 'sides, that one's yours; first catch and 'all, you earned it."

Beth grinned, eyeing her meal proudly, "Yeah, guess I did, huh?" She flicked her gaze from the squirrel over to him, "Maybe I want to share?"

Daryl lifted his eyes to hers, a slight quirk on his lips, "Eat up." He leaned his arm over his knee, nodding at the fire, "Got my own." He held out the stick that held his own squirrel over the fire.

Beth smiled, unable to help being pleased by the fact that she may actually manage to quench her hunger for the first time all week, and lifted the food to her lips. She could feel Daryl's eyes on her as she ate, taking hungry, unladylike bites as he carefully studied her, and she knew if she were to look up he would look away, as if he had never been staring in the first place.

Maggie's words from that morning had played on her mind that day, even after all the excitement earlier on in the hunt.

She found her mind drifting, wondering if there was any merit in what her sister had said. If Daryl was just like all the other guys who had surrounded her like flies while she was in high school, like Maggie had suggested, she had never seen any sign of it from his interactions with the other women in the group. As far as she knew, he hadn't even been with a woman since she had met him.

Beth felt herself flushing, realising that probably wasn't true. Though she was confident that it wasn't something at the forefront of his mind; that it wasn't something he was seeking out. And he certainly hadn't ever given her any indication that he wanted something like that from _her._ They had spent weeks alone together after the attack on the prison and it was such a non-issue that it hadn't even entered her mind.

She was pretty certain that she didn't even make a blip on his radar back then either.

Now, though, she was beginning to wonder. She had felt his heart thudding in his chest earlier against her temple, faster than normal, when she had pressed herself against him; had noticed the way he quickly released her shortly after and his initial attempt to avoid her eyes.

"Rick said Maggie's gettin' worried."

Beth looked at him sharply, his voice pulling her abruptly from her thoughts; "Oh. Um…yeah." She nodded, before picking a bit of meat from the bone, raising it to her lips; "She thinks Glenn should be back by now. And Tara's not doing great; Carol doesn't think she can hold on much longer without any medication."

Daryl nodded, licking his fingers between his words as he answered, "Rick's thinkin' 'bout sending a group out. See if we can track him down." He wiped his hand on his pants.

"Oh."

Daryl shrugged, "When we get back." He turned his attention back to his meal; "Sooner he comes back, sooner we can get lookin' for somewhere to settle properly for the winter."

Maggie was wrong; Beth was certain of it. Daryl wasn't like other guys, certainly not in the way her sister was implying.

Daryl cared about her, about the group, and that was always the most important thing to him. Keeping the people he cared about safe. And there was nothing more anyone could ask of a man in this world they were living in.

Daryl was protective, caring and sweet, she knew that, had seen it when it had been just the two of them. He was a man who'd give you a piggyback and ask you to sing for him and brush you off when you tell him he's good. And he'd be mortified if she ever told anyone any of that, this side of him that he kept hidden from everyone else. This side of him that he'd allowed himself to share with her.

Maybe it wasn't just friendship. Maybe there _was_ something more there; something deeper. Something that made her want to share with him the same vulnerability he had trusted her with.

But what it was, she wasn't sure of yet. And just that thought that it could be anything more than this made her heart beat faster, nervous and frightened of what it would mean.

XXX

The night was bitter, the coldest they had experienced yet.

Daryl could see Beth shivering a few feet away from him. She was curled up, attempting to sleep while he took watch, and appeared to be unable to get warm despite having two blankets wrapped around her. She had protested when he had given her his, insisting that she was fine though she could barely stop her teeth from clicking and grinding together when she spoke.

The blankets themselves were thin and inadequate for the winter, which only stressed the importance that the group had to be moving on and find shelter somewhere. If Glenn couldn't find gas or another car while he was tracking down those meds, then they would just have to go on foot.

"Don't think the game we caught is going to have much trouble cooling down," Beth quipped, her voice shaky and uneven with her shivers.

Daryl felt another smile tug at his lips. It was happening more now; the urge to smile. It always did when he was with her.

"You okay? You're not too cold?" Beth looked over at him, concern evident in her expression.

"Not as bad as you," Daryl stated, pulling his poncho tighter around himself.

He _was_ cold.

Daryl wondered if they should light a fire. They had seen several walkers a little while before they had made camp and hadn't wanted to risk drawing their attention, only allowing the fire to burn long enough to cook their squirrel meat. Daryl had considered just eating them raw to prevent the risk of being seen altogether but, while he had managed to convince Beth to field dress her own catches, he guessed that suggesting eating them uncooked would be pushing it a little.

Her expressions of immense disgust while he had taught her earlier that day had almost made him laugh outright.

Daryl crossed his arms across his chest as he eyed her, taking in her unsuccessful attempts at controlling her shivers, evidently trying to conceal them from him. She was freezing. She was going to get sick. And, honestly, he was freezing too.

He sighed and pushed himself to his feet, making his way over to the pit where the fire had been lit before.

Beth raised herself up slightly as he did so; "What are you doing?"

"Lightin' a fire."

"You can't, the walkers –"

"If they come, I'll deal with 'em. You're gonna freeze t' death."

"Think I'd prefer it to walkers coming along and eating me while I sleep."

Daryl shot her a look; "Very funny."

The two of them were silent as Daryl pulled the box of matches he had from his pants, Beth watching him quietly from when she was lying.

After a second she sighed, pushing herself up into a sitting position, though still hugging the blankets close; "This is stupid."

Daryl lifted his eyes to her, "What is?"

"This. We don't need to light a fire."

"Hypothermia a better prospect, Greene?"

Beth rolled her eyes, "Body heat would keep us warm."

Any humour he had been prepared to meet her response with died on his lips. He cleared his throat, glancing around the clearing as if checking for onlookers, while she added, lightly; "Survival 101, right?"

Daryl was silent, not entirely sure how to respond to the suggestion and more than a little startled by how appealing it was to him.

The feel of Beth in his arms earlier that day, the warmth of her body tucked in against him and the smell of her hair, was still fresh in his mind. It was definitely a feeling he would like to experience again, even if the prospect of initiating and engaging in it made him want to run. To her, or away from her, he wasn't entirely sure.

Now, here she was, basically offering the same thing and he couldn't help hesitating, even if it didn't mean anything. Even if it was the most practical solution to the problem at hand.

"You know, I'm trying really hard not to be offended that you'd rather risk getting attacked by walkers than sleep next to me."

Daryl met her eyes again, seeing her sitting there regarding him with a mixture of amusement and uncertainty, and he suddenly realised she was right; they _were_ being stupid. Of all the options available to them, this was the safest and the most logical.

Daryl shrugged, shoving the matchbox back into his pocket, and made his way back to where he had been sitting. He settled himself back down against the muddy slope he had been leaning against before turning to look at her when she remained in the same place, just watching him.

He frowned at her, before nodding his head once, "C'mon."

Beth hesitated for a second, before she pushed the blankets off of herself and got to her feet, crossing the short distance between them and sitting down beside him. She shook out the first blanket, wrapping it around herself, before shaking out the other one and putting it over the two of them.

"You get two blankets, huh?"

Beth grinned, "What? You gave it to me," she shook her head, still smiling, "You can't take it back now."

And then she surprised him by turning herself sideways, snuggling into him so that her head tucked into the crook of his neck and her arm wound around his waist. This close, Daryl could feel just how cold she was as she burrowed against him.

"This is better," she remarked, though her voice was muffled against the fabric of his poncho and her frame still quivered slightly against him.

That, and the fact that she had settled herself into a position that, while may have been comfortable for her, was not at all comfortable for him, made him shift away from her slightly so that he could free the arm that her body had pinned to his side. The only way he could do it while keeping her close enough for warmth was to slide it behind her, around her back, so that his hand rested on her side.

Beth wiggled against him, getting comfortable in the new position.

Daryl leaned his head back, already starting to heat up, and realised how foolish they had been not to do this in the first place as Beth's shivers quickly subsided.

The two of them were sat there in silence for a while, long enough for Daryl to believe she had fallen asleep, when turned her head to the side, looking skywards; "It's pretty tonight."

Daryl glanced down at her, then followed her gaze up to the stars. He shrugged; "Same as always."

Beth smiled, leaning her head back against his chest; "Just because it's underappreciated doesn't make it any less beautiful."

"Hmm," Daryl murmured, leaning his head back again.

"Me and my dad used to do this," she went on, quietly, "when I was little. You could see the stars so clearly on the farm."

Daryl swallowed, tightening his hold on her slightly.

"I used to love it. Was the only time it was just me and him, really. Maggie and Shawn weren't interested in stuff like that; so, sometimes when they were getting ready for bed, he'd get a blanket and we'd go outside and he'd tell me stories until I fell asleep, just listening and watching them."

Daryl lifted his head to look at her, catching the wistful expression on her features before she glanced up and met his eyes. She smiled shyly at him and shrugged; "Was one of the things that made me most happy back then."

Daryl held her look for a second, feeling his eyes warm as he nodded his head slightly.

Beth leaned back into him, going quiet again for a few moments.

"Sometimes…sometimes I wonder, you know? If we'll ever have that again. If…I don't know," she shrugged against him, "If we're ever gonna be really happy again. Proper." He felt her rub the fabric of his shirt between her fingers, "It's scary. Thinking that we won't be."

Daryl touched his chin to the top of her head, not really sure how to respond. He wasn't one to give assurances of that kind; the kind that she was looking for. Far as he was concerned, the world had gone to shit. And they were lucky enough just to be alive, there wasn't room for happiness anymore. It was such a rare luxury, even before the turn to him.

But he couldn't say that to her. Beth wasn't him. She didn't think like him, she still had hope, still had faith. And it was the most beautiful part of her, one that he wouldn't be a part of shutting down.

So, instead he said; "No one can ever be really happy. Life's too hard, you just get moments of happiness. Unless you're an idiot. Then you can be happy."

Beth jerked her head from his chest to look at him strangely; "Wha…?" Then she gave a chuckle, nodding her head ironically, "Very poetic."

Daryl felt himself fighting a smile as he shrugged, "Can't take credit. Read it somewhere. Real wise man said it."

"Who?"

"Irvin Kershner," Daryl stated, his breath coming in little puffs from his nose to hold back his amusement, which only increased at her confused expression, "Y'know, the film director. Directed the second Star Wars movie."

It only took a second for her expression to morph from confusion to understanding, before she burst out laughing with unreserved gaiety. She leaned forward, as her laughter increased, to press her forehead against his chest as she shook with amusement and attempted to muffle her sounds with her hand.

The sound of her laughter, something so rare to his ears, along with the feel of her shaking in his arms and knowing that it because of something he had said to her, made it impossible from him to hold back his own smile. The one he seemed to always be fighting whenever they were in one another's company.

Beth lifted her head as her laughter subsided, though her eyes still shone bright with mirth, and as she took in his smile her own smile widened for a second before her expression softened, as she just stared at him. Her gaze, open and earnest, piercing right into him.

He felt his heart rate increase, as was starting to become common, his breaths coming not quite steady. But he forced himself not to look away this time.

After a moment, she smiled tenderly at him, before she spoke, her tone quiet, open and vulnerable; "I'm happy now."

Daryl held her look. The weight of what she said hung heavy over them. His eyes drifted; lowering away from the raw sincerity of her eyes, down to her lips, lingering there for a moment. The tip of her tongue darted out for a second, wetting her bottom lip, before she bit down on it. And he almost felt as if she were daring him to do something.

Daryl swallowed and averted his eyes, only for a second, but enough to break the moment before he met her eyes again.

"You won't be soon."

Beth swallowed, lowering her eyes, the atmosphere of the moment changed by his words, before she nodded; "Yeah. I know."

"Me too."

Beth frowned, picking up on the hint of teasing in his tone as she lifted her eyes back to his.

"Not hard to figure as much. 'cording to this watch," he lifted the item from his pocket, holding it up for her to see, "I've already been on watch for about an hour or so. Not long until you have to take over. Soon I'm gonna be sleepin' and you're gonna be left wonderin' why you spent the whole time you shoulda been, up and talkin' to me." He lowered the watch; "And I know how cranky you get when you're tired."

A slow smile spread across her lips.

Daryl smiled back.

After a second she rolled her eyes and readjusted herself again, snuggling back down against his chest with a sigh. Daryl tightened his arm around her for a second, squeezing her slightly, letting her know that he was there with her, that he understood what she had been saying to him. Even if he couldn't say it back.

He was happy too. Even if it was for just this moment. Even if it all went to crap tomorrow. For now, he was happy. And being here, with her, like this; it was enough.

Theywere enough for him.

_She_ was enough for him.

And, in light of that, he found it hard to imagine that anything else mattered all that much in the world. Except this moment with Beth Greene.


	7. Day Seven: Part One

Despite his teasing, Daryl hadn't woken her when his time on watch was up.

By the time Beth had woken in his arms, the sun was already starting to cast a soft glow over their camp, and when she had raised her head, sleepily, Daryl had met her look with a small smile.

The strangeness of waking up in his arms, with him looking down on her with such warmth in his expression, had made her smile shyly before she buried her face back against his chest, yawning quietly. She had been blearily content for a moment before the haze of sleepiness faded and she had frowned and rose up to look at him again.

Daryl had only quirked an eyebrow when she had chastised him for not waking her so he could get some sleep himself. Then he had shrugged and said he only needed a little bit, before leaning his head back and closing his eyes. His arm that had cradled her through the night had still rested loosely around her back, allowing her the option of getting up and moving away or staying there with him as he slept.

Beth had glanced back at him, taking in the sight of him with his eyes closed. She had seen him before as he slept, of course; it wasn't the first time she had to take watch while he rested. But it was the first time she had ever really looked at him as he did. It was the first time she noticed the way his features relaxed, making him look softer and at peace. He had an openness, a vulnerability that made him look younger which he often concealed behind his guarded demeanour while he was awake.

She had titled her head to the side, content to drink in the sight of him, but after a few moments of her staring Daryl had quirked open an eye, startling her.

Beth had frowned, though her embarrassment didn't quite hit her until she felt Daryl's fingers gently touch her chin and turn her head so it was facing the direction of the camp.

"Ain't gonna see no walkers comin' if you're too busy watching me."

Beth knew she had blushed crimson at his words, could feel the way her face and neck flushed. She was mortified as she cleared her throat, looking down, starting to push herself up; "Sorry, I'll uh…go over there."

"Never said that."

Beth had hesitated with a frown at his words, looking back up at him, but his eyes were closed again when she did. She had paused, uncertain as to what to do, his words confusing her as she was left wondering if he was asking her to stay. He never gave any indication either way, only continued to sit there with his eyes closed, his arm neither tightening nor loosening around her.

It was her choice.

And it was a choice she'd only taken a moment to make, before she had carefully laid back down against him, her head on his shoulder. She'd felt the arm that surrounded her tighten for a second, not quite a squeeze but still an acknowledgement of her company, and his thumb caressed her side softly.

Beth felt her heartbeat quicken at the recollection, as she followed Daryl down the trail, struggling to hear his answer to the question she had asked.

"Don't remember what it was called; but the guy never bothered givin' them names, just called 'em Rat and Mole and Toad or somethin'."

"The Wind and the Willows?"

Daryl shrugged; "Rings a bell."

Beth laughed; "Don't pretend you don't know. Lots of kids had it read to them when they were little."

"Yeah, well, that was the one. She didn't much read to us; well, I dunno about Merle. He was too old for it by the time I came along. He was in juvie at that point anyway."

"But she read this one to you?" Beth smiled, "That's nice."

Daryl only muttered something, the distance between them making it impossible for her to hear.

"Did you like it?"

"What?"

"The story."

Daryl took a second to brace himself against a tree trunk, the weight of everything he was carrying making it harder than usual, as he stepped up to climb over a log and some rocks that had blocked their path; "Dunno."

"How come?"

Daryl, having jumped down so he was standing on the other side of the obstruction, turned and held a hand out to her, giving her a nod; "She didn't finish it."

Beth took his hand, allowing him to help steady her as she climbed up it. She put her hand on his shoulder, bracing herself when she was at the top; "Why not?"

Beth jumped down.

"She died."

The blunt way with which he said it threw her for a moment, making her snap her head up to look at him. Daryl held her look for a moment, before he shrugged, looking neither upset nor affected by the words he had just said.

Beth still had a grip of his arm, from when she had jumped from the log, and squeezed it before shaking her head; "I'm so sorry."

Daryl shrugged, tugging his arm out of her grasp to put a hand against her shoulder, urging her onwards; "'s okay. Happened ages ago." Beth lowered her eyes, as she allowed him to guide her back along the trail, his hand lingering against her shoulder blade for a second before dropping away; "Anyway, the book burned down with the house."

Beth glanced over at him, at his reserved acceptance over what he was saying to her, and wanted more than anything to comfort him in some way but didn't know how so the two of them carried on quietly down the trail for a little while longer until she noticed some berries on a tree that they were passing.

Beth paused when they reached them; while Daryl carried on, having been keen to return to the camp as soon as possible after the two of them had spotted the herd of walkers that roamed not too far from where they had been hunting.

"Daryl, can we eat these?"

He stopped at her words, looking back at her over his shoulder. He looked at them from a distance with a considering frown, before he walked back and stepped up behind her, as she fingered the berries she had found.

Daryl eyed them for a second before he picked one off, "Look like persimmons." He put it on his tongue, chewing it for a second, before swallowing and nodding at her; "Enjoy."

"You don't just shove things into your mouth before being sure," she admonished him, before picking off a few of the berries.

Daryl shrugged, picking off some for himself; "I was sure."

Beth gave him a sceptical look and raised her own fruit to her lips; "They're good."

Daryl mumbled something that she didn't quite catch, but she assumed it was something along the lines of agreeing with her, because he gathered up a few more in his hand before he continued down the trail they had been following; "C'mon."

Beth quickly gathered a handful of the berries before hurrying to catch up.

xxx

It was getting close to nightfall.

The deer that they had caught weighed heavily on his back, alongside the backpack he was wearing, and he could tell that Beth was growing tired carrying the crossbow and the belt of squirrels they had managed to gather while they had been out.

It had been a successful trip and the food they had managed to gather should last them a while, especially now that the weather was cold enough to keep them longer before having to cook them. But the cold weather, along with the looming herd of walkers he and Beth had spotted during their time away made it all the more urgent that they start moving on.

Beth's hand on his arm stilled him, her voice quiet; "Daryl."

He stopped, turning to look at her, quickly recognising the apprehension in her tone. He followed her gaze, which landed directly ahead of them, where three men were trudging through the woods, heading in their direction.

Daryl swallowed, recognising the rough way they were carrying themselves, however the first of the men spotted them before he could lead them in a different direction; "Hey!"

Daryl quickly felt for his knife, assuring himself of its location, as he turned his gaze back to Beth; "Hey."

She turned anxious eyes to him, as he dropped the deer to the ground, snatching the crossbow from her shoulder.

"Ain't far from camp. You know where it is?" At her nod, he went on, as he hastily loaded up the weapon; "Anything happens, I hold 'em off and you run. Got it?"

The anxiousness in her eyes increased as she nodded jerkily. Daryl lifted the crossbow, keeping it at waist height, and stepped in front of her, nudging her back with the side of his arm as the first of the three men reached them.

Daryl nodded at them in greeting.

"Fine catch you got there," the man eyed the deer.

Daryl kept himself facing forward, only allowing his eyes to glance down at it briefly, without answering him.

"Don't frighten the things, Den," another man said, as the two others joined them. He nodded at Daryl; "Just you two out here?"

"No," Daryl said, stepping further in front of Beth when he noticed the third man eyeing her appreciatively.

"Don't look like you got much company."

The third man grinned, having stepped to the side slightly so that he could still see Beth after Daryl's attempt to shield her; "Don't think this guy's complainin' about the company." He winked at her; "What's your name beautiful?"

"Leave her be." Daryl glared at him, raising his bow slightly.

"Hey, we don't want no trouble," the second man raised his hands, "Just hungry." He shrugged; "Y'know how it is."

Daryl hesitated, eyeing the man who was still eyeing Beth, before he nodded at the man who had spoken to him; "Y' can take half."

The three men gave a collection of snickers, as they exchanged looks between themselves.

The first man turned his attention back to Daryl, raising an eyebrow; "We'll have it all."

Daryl shook his head, his eyes narrowing. Although Daryl was aware they would at least be getting the deer, as there was no way he was going to be able to fight these men off without leaving Beth at risk of one of them going for her.

Daryl held the man's look for a moment; the atmosphere tense with anticipation of what was to happen next. The second man twitched and within a second, three weapons were lifted; two guns opposite his one crossbow.

Daryl glared at the first man, at whom his weapon was directed against.

It was the third man who spoke this time, the other who had a gun directed at him; "Now, there ain't no reason to make this harder than it has to be."

Daryl kept his crossbow and eyes trained on the first man.

Until the sound of the menacing click of the hammer of the second gun being cocked brought his attention to the other, who now had his gun trained past him and directed at Beth.

Daryl felt panic and rage course through him at the threat.

"Lower the bow," the third man said, his expression deadly serious; "Or I put her down."

Daryl swallowed, slowly lowering the crossbow.

"Kick it away."

Daryl glared at him before he did, sending it off to the left, watching as the bolt disengaged and fell amongst the leaves. The third man nodded, lowering his gun slightly, and Daryl felt Beth move in close behind him as the three men stepped forward.

"Den, get the deer."

The only man without a gun reached down, hiking the catch up onto his back, while the other two kept their guns trained on them.

The third man approached, his gun lowered slightly to the side, not quite pointing at them; "I'll take those squirrels, pretty girl."

Daryl made to step in front of her again as he approached, but the man lifted his gun, directing it at him, making Beth place a placating hand on his arm before she cautiously stepped out from behind him. She reached up, unslinging the belt from her shoulder as she got closer, and held it out to him.

The third man eyed Beth up and down for a second, while the unarmed man stepped away and the second man lowered his gun, before he reached out to take the belt she held out to him. A sinister smirk passed over his expression for a second, before he grabbed her by the wrist and tugged her to him.

"Know what, how about you come along with us as well."

The next moment passed in a blur, as the sound of Beth's yelp and the sight of her being pulled against this man made Daryl see red and he was on him within a second, hitting the gun from his hand and sending it flying across the ground.

A shot rang out as Daryl floored the third man with a hook to the jaw, drawing his attention to the man who had fired and missed.

"Go!" Daryl quickly shoved at Beth before grabbing the second man's wrist, twisting it and making the second shot shoot skywards, before Daryl managed to turn and lock the man in a tight hold, continuing to rotate the wrist until the gun fell to the ground and Daryl was able to kick it away.

Daryl caught sight of Beth running away before a strike to the back of the head made him jerk forward, releasing the hold he had on the man as they both toppled forward.

He rolled himself over just in time to stop the second blow to his face; recognising the first man had gotten hold of his crossbow and was using to strike him.

Daryl struck back, getting him across the jaw and sending him to the ground, but before he could get himself upright a pair of hands grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him back down. Daryl kicked out, managing to get the third man as he approached him in the shin and sending him down as the arms that restrained him hooked over his and pinned him to the ground.

"Oh, bet you're feeling pretty stupid now you sorry piece of shit," the third man spat on him as he grabbed Daryl's knife from his belt; "I'll give your girl a kiss for you," the man added, as he raised the knife up, preparing to bring it down.

For a second he thought this was it. He was going to die. Killed by his own knife.

And then a shot rang out and blood splattered over him.

It took a second for the four men to realise what had happened. The man who had had the knife raised looked down at the point where blood pooled and soaked through his shirt. He grasped at the wound helplessly for a bewildered moment, before he coughed, spraying more blood in Daryl's face, and toppled off of him and to the ground.

The other two men turned.

Daryl raised his eyes from the man who had fallen, looking across the short distance to where Beth stood; gun still raised and held firmly in her hand.


	8. Day Seven: Part Two

The stillness was unnerving.

Everyone was frozen as they tried to make sense of what had just happened. What she had just done.

And then, suddenly, everyone started moving at once.

Before she could react, Beth found herself tackled to the ground, one of the two men who had been focusing on Daryl plunging against her. She hit the ground hard, the impact winding her and making a second gunshot fire from the gun she held into the air. As she attempted to gather herself, she caught sight of Daryl struggling to free himself from the grip the other man had him in.

Beth gripped the gun tighter, as the man on top of her grabbed at her wrist, too late to stop her from pulling the trigger as she quickly aimed it at his face. The weapon clicked, no bullet forthcoming having run out of bullets, and the man's eyes flashed with fury before he backhanded her hard across the cheek, snapping her head to the side.

She couldn't help crying out at the pain that vibrated from her cheek, down her neck, but she still scrambled against him, trying to hit him across the temple with the barrel of the gun as he attempted to pin her down. When she made contact it was barely a hit, only serving to infuriate her opponent more as he grabbed the gun from her and returned the favour; striking her hard across the side of the head with it and making her see stars.

Beth clambered against him, quickly gathering her bearings as she shoved him high enough to bring her knee up, getting him in the groin. The man gasped, taken off guard as he doubled over, though he kept a firm hold of her; his movement was enough for her to be able to grasp down and grab the knife Daryl had given her the day before.

She brought it up, slashing the man across the chest with it before he could make sense of what she was doing. He roared out, as blood splattered down onto her from the wound, but before she could strike him with the knife again, he grabbed her by the wrist and yanked the weapon out with his other hand.

"Feisty little bitch, aren't you?" he laughed, humourlessly, his eyes dangerous and menacing as he glowered down at her.

However, before he had the chance to do anything further, an arm swung tight across his throat.

Beth felt her stomach jump, the relief almost overwhelming her as she watched Daryl roughly drag the man off and away from her. He kept him on the ground, on his knees but they weren't quite touching the soil, as his arm tightened around his throat and his other hand reached up, grabbing the man behind the back of the head. Beth swallowed, watching wide eyed as the man grabbled frantically at his arm, twisting his body in a desperate attempt to free himself, before Daryl whipped his head around, snapping his neck.

Daryl released him as he did so, the man falling down dead between them.

Beth and Daryl were motionless, just staring at one another; the only sound between them the echoes of one another's ragged breathing.

Daryl's eyes were still dark and wild, and Beth felt her heart hammering in her chest as she took in the sight of him; blood splattered over his face and clothing, his expression dangerous. It only lasted a moment, his hard expression quickly turning to one of concern as he urgently stepped over the body, coming back to her.

"You okay?"

Beth took a deep breath, nodding, as she took the hand he held out to her, allowing him to pull her to her feet. She ran a hand through her hair, which had come undone during the attack, taking in the sight of the man still lying behind him. Her glance went from there, over to the man she had shot who now also lay dead a few feet away.

Beth swallowed, her eyes darting around the area uneasily, before she turned her attention back to Daryl, just looking at him for a second, before stepping in closer and pressing her face into his chest. She felt his hand press against the back of her head, his other hand gripping the top of her arm tightly.

The two of them stood like that for a minute, neither of them saying anything.

She tried not to think about the bodies around them, or the fact that the blood on her face was now being added to by the blood on his jacket, instead tried to just focus of Daryl and the way he held her.

Beth felt Daryl touch the side of her head where the man had struck her. She lifted it up to look at him as he drew his hand away, looking carefully at the blood on his fingers.

His eyes flashed before he spoke, turning accusing eyes on her; "What the hell, Beth?"

Beth flinched and raised herself up more fully, startled by the sudden change in him; "What?"

"I tell you to run, you run."

Beth could only stare at him, dumbfounded both by the anger in his expression and by what he had just said.

After a second, she shook her head in disbelief; "What? You…you're kidding, right?"

"Nah, I ain't jokin'." Daryl was livid, and she wasn't quite sure why; "You have to think before you do things, Beth," he was glaring right at her, his tone low but urgent; "This is survival; you can't be stupid!"

Beth felt her own anger go from zero to sixty in a second; "Stupid?" she snapped.

"Yeah, stupid!" he snapped back, increasing his own tone to match hers.

Beth shoved her palms against his chest, pushing against him and sending them both stumbling a few steps back from one another, freeing herself from his hold on her, though she quickly closed the gap she had created, stepping back up to him; "I couldn't just run."

"Think about it, Beth," he practically growled at her, "What if I hadn't managed to get that guy off of me? Huh?"

"Well that's not what happened, is it?"

"Y' coulda been killed, Beth!"

"If I hadn't come back, you would have been!"

A silence fell, the exclamations hanging between them.

Daryl's anger seemed to fall away, replaced by something else; something like a mixture of alarm and disbelief, though she couldn't quite place it. She was bemused and angry at his abrupt change in behaviour, the charges he had laid at her door, and couldn't make up her mind if she wanted to keep standing here yelling at him, telling him how stupid he was being and how dare he level that description at her after she'd just saved his ass, or storming off and leaving him to stew in stony silence.

"Daryl!"

They spun around.

From the direction of the camp, Rick, Glenn and Abraham were hurrying towards them.

"We heard gunshots," Rick stated, as they reached them, "You two alright?" He paused as he glanced around the area, taking in the sight of the three bodies that lay when they had fallen.

"Beth!" Glenn was at her side instantly, a concerned hand on her arm as he looked her over; "What happened?" He quickly pulled out a bandana and a bottle of water, pouring some onto it.

"These guys attacked us," Daryl explained, vaguely, "Wanted food."

Glenn handed Beth the bandana he had moistened; "Here." She gave him a small, thankful smile and took it from him, reaching up to wipe her face; "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" He went on, anxiously.

She shook her head; "No, I'm fine."

The men began to talk amongst themselves, Glenn explaining he had returned the day before not long after they had left. After that, Beth found it hard to keep track of what the men were saying, her attention drawn in by the sight of the three men she and Daryl had killed lying dead on the ground at their feet. The adrenaline from the fight and her words with Daryl was wearing off and she was left with a feeling of hollowness.

Abraham drove the blade of his knife into the skull of one of the dead men, the one that she had shot, before rolling him over onto his stomach and beginning to haul the backpack he had been wearing from the corpse.

"What are you doing?" Beth's voice was shaky as she spoke, and she caught Daryl's sharp look in her direction at the tone.

Abraham raised his head to look at her, before he turned his attention back to the pack, continuing to roughly haul it off of the corpse; "These sorry pricks don't need it anymore."

Beth felt her stomach churn and she suddenly felt like she was going to be physically sick, as she turned away and made to go and gather up her and Daryl's supplies that were scattered throughout the clearing, swinging the crossbow up onto her shoulder when she reached it.

"Oh shit."

All eyes turned to Rick at the quiet exclamation, before they followed his line of vision to the horizon line of the woods, where walkers were gradually beginning to appear, heading in their direction. The herd Beth and Daryl had seen earlier were maybe ten minutes away, having been drawn in by the sounds of the gunshots.

"C'mon." Daryl quickly grabbed at her arm, urging her back in the direction of the camp, before he reached down and slung the deer back up onto his back, Rick and Glenn grabbing the various other supplies and the belt of skinned squirrels before the five of them began the short run back to their people.

Within minutes the five of them tore into the camp, the other members of the group standing and greeting them anxiously at the urgency of their reappearance, as Rick and Daryl barked at them to grab what they could and head for the cars.

Beth made to gather up some of the blankets that were near to her feet when her sister suddenly appeared in front of her; "Beth?" Maggie grabbed her arms tightly, looking her up and down, "Oh my God, what happened?"

Beth shook her head, "I'll tell you later, we gotta go." She quickly grabbed the blankets she had gone for, before grabbing Maggie's hand and tugging her in the direction of where the others were heading for.

Beth caught Daryl's eyes as they scanned the campsite, noticing him relax somewhat when he saw her heading away. He turned and said something to Rick, as the other man took Judith from Sasha's arms, and the two of them hurried along after them, at the back of the group.

Fourteen people hurried out of the woods into the clearing where the three cars were hidden. From the way the group automatically quickly split into two, one heading for one of the previous cars they had used, and the other to the new one Glenn must have found while he was out on the run, she assumed he hadn't been able to find any gas while he had been out.

Daryl threw open the trunk as people piled around him, throwing the deer into the back, the squirrel belt Glenn handed to him and then the various backpacks and blankets people had managed to grab before they had taken off. Beth handed his crossbow over to him, as she made her way around to the open door of the car.

It was only minutes before they were loaded up and ready to go; the walkers still not yet in sight though the threat loomed ominously over them. The events unfolding had become so familiar now, as Beth remembered how they had scattered from the farm, from the prison, from the funeral home.

Just when things finally seem to being going right; they stop.

There were seven of them to the car Beth had run to, the same people who had ridden together the first time, and they all clambered in, taking the same spots as they had before. Rick in the driving seat with Daryl next to him, on the passenger side. Judith was sat in his lap, whereas on the first journey she had travelled on Beth's. Carl, Glenn, Maggie and Beth were squashed together on the backseat.

Rick looked over his shoulder, hesitating for only a second until he saw Abraham, who was starting up the other car, give a nod, before he stepped on the gas the two cars sped off, the group hitting the road once again.

"Beth?"

Beth turned at the worry in her sister's voice, with a frown.

Maggie eyed her carefully; "Are you okay?"

Beth nodded; "Yeah, I'm fine." She frowned again, a little bemused at the enquiry; "Why?"

Maggie nodded down at her hands; "You're shaking."

Beth looked down at where her sister had indicated and realised that she was.

Her hands were trembling in her lap. She swallowed, before raising her eyes. As she did so, she met Daryl's in the rear view mirror. She caught the concern in his eyes as he watched her before she turned her head, looking away from him, to rest the side of her head against the window, as she directed her gaze out at the passing scenery.

xxx

They drove for hours, in seemingly endless circles, as they attempted to scout out a shelter to settle down in for the winter. The events of the evening had led to an abrupt uprooting which meant they were mostly unprepared and unaware of where they ought to look, knowing only that they had to head in a different direction from where the herd they were running from was travelling.

Daryl couldn't have been less interested in the search if he tried; his mind still back at that clearing where he and Beth had come across those men. The sight of Beth standing there with the gun; the sight of that man on top of her, striking her and lifting her knife to her, all remained at the forefront of his mind.

She had seemed shaken when he had went off on her. She didn't get it; they had gotten lucky. Things don't always work out that way; in fact, they most often don't. It could have very easily have been different, been bad. Daryl almost hadn't managed to escape the grip the other man had had him in, as his friend had tackled Beth to the ground and he would never forget the panic he had felt as he had helplessly watched Beth scrambling against him just a few feet away. And once he finally freed himself, it had been pure chance that he had managed to find his knife that had been dropped, making it possible for him to take his opponent down quickly. Had he been just a few seconds later, he would have been too late.

Hell, he had been too late. The man had hurt her; the gash and the blood that spilled from the wound on the side of her head, along with the bruising he could see developing across her eye when he glanced at her in the mirror was evidence of that. She had only been a few feet away from him and, still, he hadn't been able to protect her.

Just like before.

"Hey," Rick tapped him on the arm, drawing his attention. He nodded at something in the distance; "What do you think?"

Daryl peered out the windscreen, what he had indicated becoming clearer as Rick drove up closer to the building. Across the field was a small church, surrounded by fences and neighbouring trees. Rick glanced over at him; Daryl gave a shrug and a nod, as much of a seal of approval as he was likely to give without checking it out properly.

Rick nodded, before indicating his intentions to Abraham's group by flashing his lights and pulling the car over, the second car pulling up alongside it. The group slowly, with less urgency than before, began piling out from the cars to congregate on the road.

"Looks like there's a church up there," Rick said to the group, as they looked to him for information, just like times before; "Thinking I'll take a group up, scout it out, see what it's like. Make sure there isn't anyone else already up there."

There were nods and murmurs of agreement, before Rick went on to confirm the plans more fully, finishing up with; "Okay, so the rest of you sit tight. We won't be long." He nodded at Daryl and Glenn, who had volunteered to go up with him as the group dispersed.

Beth was walking by him, following at a distance behind Maggie as she went to say goodbye to Glenn, and he cautiously reached out, gently touching her arm to stop her; "Hey."

Beth stopped, looking up at him with guarded surprise.

Daryl was unnerved when she only stared at him, not saying anything. He swallowed; "You okay?"

Beth seemed to think about the question for a second before she shrugged and nodded; "Yeah." She made to walk on but he tightened the light grip he had on her arm.

"You sure?"

Beth looked back at him, frowning slightly, her surprise more evident this time. She regarded him for a second, her expression contemplative before it softened slightly and she nodded. Daryl reluctantly released her; unsure of what it was he wanted to do exactly. He could tell she was confused and hurt, probably by the words they had exchanged in the woods but he could hardly bring that up now when there were several prying eyes already regarding their exchange with undisguised interest.

Daryl suddenly felt like a jackass for the things he had said, the accusations he had levelled at her. But the initial alarm he had felt, first at seeing her being brought down and then the fear that he wouldn't make it to her in time, had had him reeling. The fear he had felt at the thought of something happening to her, of her being hurt, of losing her had made him irrational.

And the extent of the terror he had felt had shaken him.

Beth was regarding him carefully however when he said nothing more she lowered her eyes and made to walk away a third time; this time he didn't stop her.

After a few steps she hesitated, before turning back to look at him; "Daryl?"

He met her eyes.

She paused for a moment before she glanced in the direction of the church, and then back at him. She bit her lip before speaking; "Be safe."

Daryl held her look, before nodding that he would, and then watched as she walked away.


	9. Day Ten

In the two days that followed the exodus from the woods, Beth and Daryl hadn't spoken.

Other than the occasional word in passing, or a shared glance across the room, their communication with one another had been almost non-existent. Though their situation was not entirely unfriendly, the incident with the men in the woods and the words they had exchanged in the aftermath had weighed heavily on her mind; and neither she nor Daryl had approached one another to discuss the issue.

As time went on, Beth became more and more sure of the reasons for his outburst. After the close contact they had since they had come together again, along with those shared weeks following the fall of the prison, she was starting to understand how his mind worked; starting to understand how he thought and how he felt about things and it didn't take her long to figure out that his words to her had been born out of fear, rather than actual anger with her.

Now, though, she was beginning to learn that he was stubborn too, at least in this case, as, while she wasn't quite willing to let him off the hook for what he had said, he hadn't yet made the effort to seek her out.

It didn't justify what he had said, his fear. Beth had been afraid too. The only time in her life she could compare it to, was when she had seen the Governor put a katana to her father's throat. And she hadn't just been afraid for herself, when she had tried to fight off her attacker; the panic she had felt when that man had raised Daryl's knife to him had terrified her, everything that had happened next driven by that fear.

The events that followed still haunted her; when she wasn't thinking about Daryl, she was remembering what they had done. What she had done.

Neither the incident in the woods, nor the current standstill she was in with Daryl was something she wanted to think about; so, her solution was to not think at all. As such, while he busied himself with securing the perimeter of the field with Rick, she had spent the past two days throwing herself into the interior preparations necessary within the Church, while the others had been out on runs gathering supplies. The practice was familiar, reminding her of days back on the farm when these people had first come into her life. Back when things were still normal, still good, before all of this.

Beth had been on the Church porch alone for most of the afternoon, taking her time hand washing the various filthy items of clothing that had been laid aside for washing since Glenn and Maggie had returned from their run with new attire for everyone. The sun was sitting low in the sky when Carl had come upon her, having been out checking the traps in the woods with Michonne for most of the day.

"Looks like you're having fun," he'd said, before taking a seat down beside her.

The two had settled into easy conversation with one another, reminiscent of their days on the road almost two years before; conversing about how much Judith had grown, impending Christmas and how strange Eugene was to talk to. She had almost forgotten all the things that plagued her for the first half hour of his company until he turned to her as she was finishing up the last of the shirts she had been washing.

"My dad told me what happened."

She hesitated in her movements.

"How you saved Daryl from those assholes."

Beth met his eyes.

Carl grinned, as he went on "That's pretty awesome, y'know. I mean, you saving him like that. And then wasting them all." He was still smiling, looking at her as if with a newfound admiration; "You did good. Bet your dad woulda been proud of you, taking care of yourself like that."

Beth fingered the fabric of the shirt, as she considered his words. After a second she shook her head, speaking while keeping her attention on the shirt; "He wouldn't have been."

"Sure he woulda."

Beth swallowed, that churning in her stomach returning as it always did whenever she thought about it. Only, this time, she felt tears prickle in her eyes as well, at the linking of her father to the incident and what his opinion of her actions would have been. She quickly swiped at her eyes, not allowing any tears, before she raised her head to look at him.

"I killed someone."

The two of them held on another's look for a moment, the blunt statement alone expressing everything that was wrong about his. Carl's appreciation seemed to give way to sheepish consideration as he looked down.

Beth shook her head, also looking away; "He wouldn't have been proud."

The two of them sat there, a silence falling over them, though neither seemed to be uncomfortable by the new direction their conversation had taken. Beth noticed Carl had sobered somewhat, as he leaned back against the railings of the porch that he was sitting in front of.

When he spoke, he didn't look at her. Instead, he looked over out at the field at Rick, who was standing there working on one of the cars; "You think our dads could see it?"

"See what?"

Carl hesitated; "What we're turning into?"

Beth was still as the loaded question hung heavy over them.

She twisted the grey fabric between her fingers, as she contemplated his words. What they were turning into; until two days ago it was never even something she thought about. Her father's unwavering faith, his belief that there was still a reason had always held her up, had always given her hope even when she felt herself doubting it. Now, though, she couldn't help but wonder, couldn't help questioning everything that was happening; the world they were living in had changed but, until two days ago, the darkness of it had never really touched her, it hadn't shaken her, not since she had chosen to live back on the farm.

Beth met Carl's eyes as he looked away from Rick, his gaze almost expectant as they did.

Before Beth would have answered him. Before she would have known what to say to reassure him. Now, though, things were different. She was different. Like Carl, she had done things she could never take back.

When no response was forthcoming, Carl lowered his eyes and she realised their fears were the same. That she wasn't the only one who was feeling it. How things were changing. How they were changing. Wondering who they were and what they could do now.

With a shake of her head, she shoved the shirt she was holding back into the water.

xxx

Daryl stepped around the side of the Church, determined not to be deterred from speaking to her. For the past two days, he had been kept busy with Rick and the Church; reinforcing the fences and scouting out the surrounding area. Throughout it all, Beth had weighed heavily on his mind; Beth and the events in the woods, so much so that even Rick had brought it up the first day, wondering what had happened when they had been attacked.

Daryl had told him the events that had occurred, without offering any details; how they had been on their way back to camp when they had run into them. How they had demanded the catches; how they had raised their guns on them; how that asshole had grabbed her.

Daryl wasn't sure if that's what had given him away, because after he had said it Rick's expression had changed slightly; like he suddenly realised something, though he never said anything about it then. It wasn't until earlier today that he had brought up the subject.

"You had a run in with Beth?"

Daryl had looked at him for a second, before he turned his attention back to the engine they were working on; "Makes you say that?"

Rick had shrugged as he handed him the oil; "Just strange to see the two of you not talkin'."

"No one ever said nothin' about that before."

"'cause the two of you weren't like this before."

Daryl had been left wondering what he meant, as the two of them carried on working in relative silence for a good fifteen minutes before he spoke again, explaining in as few words as possible what had happened between them after the attack.

"Told her she ought to have kept runnin'…she said she couldn't," Daryl had kept working on the car, not bothering to check if Rick was even listening; "Told her that was stupid, that she coulda gotten killed."

When Daryl had glanced in Rick's direction, looking for a ratchet, he noticed the other man had a small grin on his face that he wasn't even attempting to hide. So, instead of carrying on with what he was saying, though he wasn't sure that was much left to say anyway as that was pretty much all that had happened, he had turned his attention back to the car.

Daryl wasn't even really listening when Rick related to him a story about a fight that he had had with Lori, back before the turn. Mostly because he didn't see why an argument his friend had had with his wife was in any way relevant to the words he had exchanged with Beth; it wasn't even really a fight and it wasn't as if he was being some overbearing asshole trying to control her or something. What he had told her to do was common sense and he wasn't going to accept that she should have her risk her life to save him.

"Women." Rick had finished off, with a fond smile, wiping the rag over the tool Daryl had just given him.

"Mind you, probably wouldn't have called her stupid."

Daryl met his eyes at that.

Rick had that small grin on his face again. "I mean; that's a death wish if there ever was one."

Daryl wouldn't know. Women were hardly his area of expertise and Beth, alone, was enough to send his mind going off in a tailspin. He was aware that she was angry with him but he was sure that his comments hadn't been enough to send her into this distant state that he had noticed she was in, as she carried on around the Church, sorting out the new supplies and cleaning up the few rooms the building had.

As much as Daryl was ashamed of it, he had said much worse things to her before, back when the prison had fallen. She hadn't pulled away like this then.

Rick had wanted to carry on when Daryl was ready to finish up for the day; so he had left him by the car as he had headed back to the Church, the not-so-helpful exchange with Rick enough to make him want to sort this thing out with Beth and figure out what was going on.

However, as he stepped around the side of the Church, he had caught sight of her sitting on the porch with Carl, neither of them noticing him as they carried on the conversation they were having.

"…dad woulda been proud of you. Taking care of yourself like that."

"He wouldn't have been."

"Sure he woulda."

Daryl had hesitated, the sombre tones of their voices indicating the conversation between them was private; a suspicion only confirmed by Beth's following response.

"I killed someone."

Daryl looked down at the bandana he held in his hands, twisting and pulling the fabric in two different directions.

"He wouldn't have been proud."

Daryl took a step back, before turning and heading away, unseen by either of them, not wanting to intrude on the conversation the two of them were having; though the information gleaned from the little he had overheard was enough to give him an idea of the state of mind Beth was now in following the attack.

He entered the Church through the small door that led into the study, pulling the poncho he was wearing over his head as he settled down into one of the chairs near the exit. Maggie smiled and nodded at him from the corner where she was sitting with Sasha, though other than that no one made any other acknowledgement of his entrance, leaving him to his thoughts.

Following the incident in the woods, Daryl hadn't really considered how Beth would have viewed it and the things they had had to do to protect themselves. All that had weighed on his minds were the events of the attack, how they had grabbed her, had gotten him on the ground, and how they had almost killed them both. He had never thought anything about how he and Beth had killed them. Hadn't even considered that it was probably the first time Beth ever had to; and he realised with certainty that it probably was.

The events of the past couple of days suddenly clicked into place, as the reason for Beth's withdrawn demeanour became apparent with his realisation.

He pushed himself up out of the chair, heading for the main sanctuary, determined that he would speak and make things right with her later on that night.

xxx

Beth had stayed on the porch long after Carl had left.

The sun was setting over the horizon and she was content to just stand and watch it; watch as darkness fell, all the while trying and failing not to think. Not to remember. While before her thoughts had focused solely on the events in the woods, in light of what had been said between her and Carl, now, her thoughts had opened up entirely and she found herself thinking about everything.

About Shawn and her mother, and how she had wanted to die when the truth had finally come out about the walkers. About Randal and how the group could never just decide if they were going to kill him, couldn't decide if they could. She thought about Shane and how Rick had said he was a threat, everything they couldn't be. The boy that Carl had shot. The Governor and how the prison fell. Carol and the murders.

The first man that she had killed; and the second that she would have if the gun had been loaded.

But, most of all, she thought about her father and all that he had taught her. All that he had stood for. How there was no point in living without hope and how he still believed there was a reason; he still believed in them and in life and everything they had been trying to build back at the prison.

Beth was leaning her arms over the railings of the porch when a cautious voice sounded behind her.

"Hey."

Beth turned her head, sharply, only mildly surprised to see Daryl a few feet away, looking uneasy and awkward, like he wasn't sure if he ought to even be speaking with her.

Beth paused for a second before she nodded at him; "Hi."

The two of them just looked at one another for a moment, before she turned to look back out over the skyline, only a small strip of light illuminating it now; "Fences finished?"

Daryl leaned back against the wooden structure of the Church, not coming any closer but settling himself enough that she knew he intended on staying; "All done."

She nodded, looking down at her hands, where her fingers slowly fidgeted together. The two of them were silent for a few moments, neither of them saying a word, and Beth was left wondering if he expected her to be the one to approach again.

"Beth."

She looked at him sharply at the tone; the regret and concern evident in both his voice and his expression. He swallowed, just looking at her, as if he had no idea what he was supposed to say.

Beth held his look for a moment before she sighed, shaking her head, and looking back out over the field that, by this point, was now entirely shroud in darkness. After a few seconds she finally spoke; "I know why you got mad."

She heard him shuffling a bit behind her.

"Y' do?"

Beth shrugged.

"Makes you think that?"

She felt a small smile tug her lips; "Getting to know you."

He was quiet, seeming to contemplate her words, before he spoke again; "I don't want you t' have to do things you regret. Not 'causa me."

Beth frowned, confused at his statement, looking at him over her shoulder; "What are you talking about?"

Daryl looked contrite as he shrugged, turning his glance downwards as he spoke; "That guy. The one you had to kill."

Beth released a breath slowly, as she considered his words. She tilted her head to the side, frowning slightly; "You think I regret it?"

Daryl lifted his eyes to hers; "I heard what you said to Carl."

Beth raised an eyebrow at him; "You were eavesdropping?"

"Nah. Was just lookin' for ya, is all."

Beth turned away from him, as she tried to remember exactly what she and Carl had said to one another. She pushed herself up so her elbows were leaning on the porch, her forearms folding across one another; "What did you hear?"

"Enough."

From the statement he had made, she doubted it.

She pressed her nails into the skin of her arm, as she considered his words, wondering whether or not she wanted to tell him the truth; what the conversation with Carl had really meant. And she wasn't all that surprised when she realised she wanted him to know everything.

She kept looking down as she spoke, still turned away from him; "I keep…playing it over in my mind. Everything that happened." She swallowed, hesitating. She heard Daryl push himself up off of the wall, though he didn't move any closer.

"How he grabbed me and when you told me to run," she went on, quietly; "I didn't get far before I turned around. That was when I saw it; them getting you on the ground." She drew in a breath, still keeping her eyes on the grass down below, keeping herself turned away from him; "By the time I got back, I didn't even know what I was gonna do. I saw the gun but I didn't go for it. But then when that guy pulled his knife on you…I dunno, it was like it was instinct or something." She shook her head, feeling her throat tightening more and more as she spoke; "I didn't even have to think about it."

The two of them were quiet when she finished speaking, not a sound between them as Daryl digested what she had said. After a moment she drew in a breath, before turning her head to look at him, seeing him regarding her carefully.

"I'd do it again."

Daryl didn't react, kept his eyes still on her.

She shook her head; "I don't regret it." There eyes were locked as she went on, speaking with certainty; "I'd do it a hundred times over."

It was true. She knew she would. It wouldn't even be a question, just like it hadn't been then. It was instinct.

It was survival. And that was the root of it all. That was the reality of the world they were in now.

Beth heard her voice break when she spoke again; "But we shouldn't have to." She turned away, feeling tears threaten to fall and she didn't want to cry, not when she was telling him this. She wanted to be strong; even if she didn't feel it. Her next words came out low and quiet, so much so that she wasn't even sure that he would hear; "It shouldn't be like this."

But it was like this. The world had gone to shit and it was dragging the rest of them down with it. They were changing; she was changing and she suddenly remembered what she had said to Daryl on the porch back at the cabin. She had wished for this and now she felt like a fool for it. She didn't want to change; she didn't want to be this.

She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the moisture of the tears she had been trying to hold back press between them, before she drew in a shaky breath, willing herself to hold them back.

"Hey."

Beth jumped when she felt Daryl's hand on her shoulder; turned her head to look up at him. She saw him swallow as he looked at her, standing close, concern, understanding and uncertainty warring in his expression. For a second he just stood there, staring at her, unsure as to what he should do as she bit down on her lip, the compassion with which he was regarding her making her throat constrict tighter and when she blinked she felt a tear from each eye escape.

Daryl released a breath as he stepped into her, the hand he had on her gripping tighter and his other reaching up to clasp the back of her head, drawing her into him. She fought the tears for a few seconds longer, squeezing her eyes shut as her face pressed into the crook of his neck, but the feel of his hand that had been gripping her shoulder sliding cautiously around her, so he was holding her against him made it impossible for her to hold them back.

She felt herself shake, a small sob escaping her. She felt Daryl's breath against her ear and his hand caressing her hair. She gripped his shirt in her hands, already knowing the battle was lost, before another sob escaped her and she allowed herself to cry as he pressed her in closer.

And while she cried, accepting from him the comfort she didn't know that she had been craving, she realised that there in his arms was the safest place she had ever felt since before she could even remember.


	10. Day Eleven

"Where are you taking me?"

Daryl never answered her, just urged her on with a nod and a hand on her arm; "C'mon. Almost there."

Beth's meltdown on the porch the night before, as she self-consciously referred to it in her mind, had meant she had finally managed to have her first satisfying night's sleep in days; the whole thing allowing her to finally make sense of how she felt about the incident with the men who had attacked them.

She'd been awake for less than an hour, just finishing up eating her breakfast with Maggie, when Daryl had approached her and asked if she wanted to go for a walk. As soon as they'd stepped out of the Church, he had led her in a very specific direction and had been vague with her when she had questioned what their destination was.

Since then, the two of them had been walking through the woods for almost an hour.

"Y'know, I'm kind of expecting to be met by little elves who're going to lead us down to Santa's Grotto, what with all this secrecy and everything." Beth gave him a small grin, which was only answered by a slight rolling of the eyes from Daryl.

It was only a few minutes later, when he led her out of the trees into a clearing, his pace slowing somewhat as they stepped out of it and onto some rocks and stones that covered the ground. A shallow river flowed by, the water running around the various rocks and through the gaps between them back down and through the woods they had just exited from. Further upstream the sound of splashing water filled the air and a quick glance at the direction the sound was coming from revealed a small waterfall, separated into three short, vertical drops, each drop getting shorter the closer each ledge got to the river.

Beth frowned, slowing to a stop as she took in the view. She glanced over at Daryl, who was watching her expectantly.

It only took a second for her to realise what was going on.

She gave the waterfall a double take, glancing back and forward between it and him for a few seconds before a smile quirked at her lips; "Is this you trying to cheer me up?"

Daryl rolled his eyes at the teasing tone she'd addressed him with, again turning to look at the waterfall. He shrugged; "Figured this is the sort of stuff y' like seein'."

Beth smiled, stepping forward and walking up to where he stood, carrying on a few steps so that she was standing in front of him, her back to him. She could feel Daryl's eyes on her as she admired the falls; felt her stomach tighten and she bit her lip, unable to help being moved by the motivation behind his actions.

The two of them were quiet for a few minutes until Daryl spoke.

"Ain't all gone t' shit."

Beth paused for a second, before she turned her head to look at him. She raised an eyebrow; "This coming from you?"

Daryl returned her look evenly, a slight quirk on his lips as he did so; "Mhm."

Beth bit her bottom lip as she regarded him, before a smile she couldn't contain broke out. Daryl dropped his eyes to the ground for a second, before meeting hers again, fighting a smile of his own at her response. She blinked and turned to look at it again.

The two of them fell into another silence, a comfortable one as they each took in the view.

She tilted her head to the side, feeling a smile still playing on her lips, her mood lightened by his gesture as she crossed her arms across her chest; "So what did make you change your mind?"

When no answer was forthcoming for a few moments, she turned to glance over her shoulder at him, an impish grin on her lips. Daryl met her eyes with a slight smile of his own, before she turned back to look at the falls.

"Think y'already know."

Beth's grin turned to a smile, though she kept her attention forward, feeling Daryl standing close behind her. After a few moments she sighed; "Thank you for bringing me here."

"Mhm."

"It's beautiful."

Beth heard him scoff, teasingly; "'s just water."

Beth rolled her eyes, before playfully jabbing him in the stomach with her elbow. She heard a sound, like a repressed chuckle escaping him, as he caught her elbow in his hand. Before he could let it go, however, Beth reached up with her own, covering his hand with hers where it rested on her arm.

She felt Daryl's hand squeeze her arm slightly, an acknowledgement of her touch, and then the feel of his thumb gently caressing the underside of her arm.

For the first time in days, she caught herself believing that things were going to be okay. Standing there with him, watching the water flow and cascade down from the ledge, she realised that things could be good; that it wasn't all lost, like he was trying to show her by bringing her there. Even if the world was going to hell, there were these things, these simple things and tender moments and beautiful gestures that meant everything. That made it all worth it.

Beth bit her lip, squeezing his hand under hers, as she realised with absolute certainty that she was going to be okay. She was going to be just fine.

xxx

Beth nibbled on the piece of fruit she held between her fingers, looking playfully at him as the two of them sat facing one another on one of the rocks. She had been impishly teasing for most of the morning, ever since the two of them had moved to explore the little waterfall and the clearing around it.

"How'd you find this place?"

Daryl reached into the can of peaches she was holding, plucking out a piece for himself; "Found it a couple of days ago, when me and Rick was scoutin'."

Beth grinned; "So, what, you saw this place and thought of me?"

Daryl raised his eyes from the fruit to her, uncertain as to what the comment was supposed to mean. He raised his eyebrows for a second at her; "You're getting cocky."

"Cocky? About what?"

Daryl took a bite of the fruit, eyeing her carefully; "You tell me."

His comment made her pause as she looked at him, that cockiness he had accused her off seeming to diminish slightly at his words. After a second she grinned and shrugged, coyly, before reaching for another piece of fruit.

A shuffling behind him caught her attention, making him glance over his shoulder and take notice of a walker that had emerged from the trees not too far from them. Daryl pushed himself in an upright sitting position, from the lounging one he had been in before, unconcernedly lifting and loading the crossbow.

After doing so, he held the weapon out to her.

Beth eyed the weapon, before raising unsure eyes to his.

Daryl nudged her gently on the arm; "Go on. Y' still know how, don't ya?"

Beth raised an eyebrow at the challenge in his tone, placing the can of fruit aside before taking the crossbow from his hands, not even bothering to stand up as he shuffled to the side so he wasn't obstructing her aim as she lifted it. After a second, the bolt fired through the air, striking the walker in the forehead and bringing it to the ground.

Daryl took in the fallen corpse, before turning his attention back to Beth, taking note of her self-assured grin as she casually placed the weapon aside and lifted the can of peaches back up from the ground.

Daryl felt a proud grin tug at his own lips but he forced himself to supress it and only give a quick raise of his eyebrows at her when she looked at him expectantly. She smiled at his response, before holding out the can to him; "Last piece."

"Nah, you can have it."

She shook her head; "Nope; yours." And then dropped the can onto his lap, before rubbing her hands together to wipe away the juices from the fruit from them.

Daryl ate the last piece quickly, licking his fingers clean before lifting the can and drinking the juices that were left at the bottom, tossing it aside when he was done.

"Don't throw the can away," Beth rolled her eyes, stretching while still in her seated position to lift it up. She shook her head, as she held it up; "Haven't you ever been told it's wrong to litter?"

Daryl scoffed, rolling his eyes; "Think there's more important things to worry about now."

Beth hauled the backpack over to herself, stuffing the can into the top pouch; "Still." She looked back out at the waterfall as she zipped it back up; "I don't want anything ruining this place."

Daryl leaned back, bending his knee to rest his arm over it as he regarded her, taking note of the lighter way she was carrying herself compared to the recent days before. Her breakdown the night before had shaken him; the thought that Beth Greene, who had been so insistent that there was still hope in the world and that life was still worth living, was losing faith was intolerable.

And, while she was right, that he had thought of her when he and Rick had come across this clearing, it had suddenly become important to him that he get her there sooner rather than later. She liked all this bullshit; the beauty of the world where no one really thought to look. Waterfalls and stars and all that girly nonsense.

And while he outwardly scoffed at it; the awe and conviction with which she spoke and admired such things never ceased to amaze him. Just watching her watching this, seeing her light up inside when she was doing it; that was what gave him hope. Just she, alone, was enough to do that for him.

Beth's eyes raised to his suddenly, as if sensing his eyes on her. She held his look for a moment before shaking her head, laughing slightly and smiling brightly at him; "What?"

Daryl returned her smile; and, as it always seemed to do, his smile made hers brighter, if that was even possible. He shook his head; "Nothin'."

Beth eyed him doubtfully for a moment, before coyly lowering her eyes.

Daryl reached back into his belt, not entirely confident that what he was going to present her with would be received happily; "Listen; y' dropped this before."

Beth looked up as he held it out to her; the knife he had gifted her with a few days before, back at the beginning of the hunt.

Beth eyed it for a minute, before raising her eyes to his with a sheepish look; "Sorry." She reached over, taking it from his hand; "I, uh…I lost it before."

Daryl shrugged; "'s okay; it happens."

He watched as she turned it over in her hands, while not responding to his statement. He saw her swallow, as she studied the knife carefully where it lay in her hands. After a minute or so, she raised her eyes to his, looking uncertain before she shook her head; "I don't even know how to use this."

Daryl frowned; "Huh?"

Beth shrugged, lifting it up and turning it from side to side as she looked at it more closely; "A knife. I mean, sure I can stab a walker in the head and everything. But…" She bit her lip; "I didn't know how to use it. Before, when…" She hesitated, before meeting his eyes and seeing that she really didn't need to elaborate any further; he had already realised what she meant.

Daryl held her look for a moment, considering her as her gaze turned questioning, before he gave an understanding nod; "Y' want me to show you?"

Beth bit her lip for a second, seeming to think about the offer, glancing at the knife in her hand, then back to him, before she nodded; "Yeah."

xxx

Maggie Greene glanced up from where she was sitting just outside the back door to the Church, noticing her younger sister step out of the woods and into the clearing, engaging in animated conversation with the man who accompanied her; Daryl Dixon.

It was an unlikely partnership and a friendship Maggie never would have even considered before, more than two years ago when they had first met the surly redneck. And yet, now, looking at them, you would think the two of them were made for one another, their camaraderie seeming to come easy and relaxed to each of them. Though Daryl maintained his relatively gruff and no-nonsense manner with the rest of them, she, and pretty much everyone else, couldn't help but notice the way he softened ever so slightly whenever he was in her little sister's presence.

She'd noticed the little looks, the smiles, the touches. And how Beth's eyes would frequently seek him out whenever the sisters were sitting together in the room and how she would coyly drop her eyes when Daryl would glance her way in return.

It was obvious. Very obvious; and yet both she and Daryl seemed completely oblivious as to how obvious they were being about the whole thing.

Maggie was certain that, even if things weren't more than friendship right now, they would become so very soon. It was heart-warming, seeing her little sister behave this way. In their lives, Beth had never been the type to become giddy over a boy, even if she had had a number of them chasing her while she was at school. She was friendly, engaging and even, occasionally, flirty but she was never open with them; not like this. Maggie could see it; Beth was allowing herself to be completely vulnerable with him.

It was both uplifting and alarming to see; her little sister falling in love. And yet, she couldn't help worrying what could happen in the longer term; couldn't help worry that her sister was going to end up hurt.

Maggie watched as the two of them came closer, Beth carrying on talking while Daryl nodded, offering only the occasional word in response. And then she caught the way Daryl glanced over at her, for a second appearing to be completely captivated by her and something she had said.

She caught the way Beth glanced up, meeting his eyes and smiling brightly at him, before Daryl awkwardly averted his eyes and said something else, leading them on and back in her direction.

Maggie found herself fighting a smile of her own and shaking her head, as she looked down, pretending not to notice them.

The two of them slowed their pace, as Daryl took notice of Rick working on one of the fences not far from the Church. He turned to Beth, saying something to her that made her nod, before Daryl reached out brushing her arm with his hand for a second, before he changed his direction slightly and the two of them separated.

Beth, no longer entranced by her companion seemed to finally take notice of Maggie. She smiled brightly at her, before her pace quickened and she practically bounded over to her. A far cry from the dour demeanour she had had for the past couple of days and the one that she had left with just that morning.

"Hey," Beth greeted her, still smiling as she plopped down next to her.

Maggie turned amused eyes to her, just watching as she adjusted herself into a comfortable position next to her. Beth fidgeted and shuffled about for a few seconds, before seeming to notice her stare. She met her eyes with a frown; "What?"

Maggie felt herself smile widely at the innocently confused expression on her sister's face. They really were completely oblivious.

"You look happy."

Beth's frown faded quickly, giving way to a wide smile. She nodded, contemplatively, her eyes scanning the ground as she did, before she met her eyes and saying lightly yet assuredly.

"I am, Maggie."


	11. Day Twelve

"You gotta balance your weight across both feet."

"I am."

"You're favourin' the right."

"Does it matter?"

"Think I'd mention it if it didn't? Makes it harder to move."

Beth had to keep herself from exhaling in exasperation. Beth wasn't sure if he was being intentionally fastidious as a way of winding her up but, either way, it was working. While Daryl was hardly the breeziest person of the group, he was never more serious than when he was training her up. And he didn't hold back either; if he thought she wasn't trying her hardest at whatever he was demonstrating to her, he thought nothing of calling her out on it.

It was frustrating but oddly reassuring, as she knew the guidance would ultimately benefit her in the end. If she didn't end up strangling him first.

Beth leaned back slightly, so she was standing more evenly, as he had said.

Daryl made a small 'hmm' in approval, nodding and indicating at the bottle she was holding in her hand, a substitute for the knife that neither was all that comfortable with her practicing with; "'kay. You remember what I showed ya?"

Beth bit her lip, nodding; "Enter and cover. Got it."

Daryl gave a single, quick nod before indicating with his hand for her to come at him. She swallowed, holding the bottle tight, and then stepped forward, following the moves he had been showing to her for the better part of that morning.

Within a second, Daryl had turned the tables, using the same steps he had been instructing her in against her. Beth found herself twisted to the side, her back to him with her arm pinned against his stomach and his hand clutching her by the wrist of the arm that held the bottle. His grip wasn't hard enough to hurt but it was firm and pulled her arm taut enough that she wouldn't be able to escape.

Beth threw him an irritated glare over her shoulder.

Despite having bettered her in the movement, Daryl didn't seem all that pleased by the way he had caught her, raising an eyebrow and not letting her go; "Too slow."

Beth sighed; "You're enjoying this."

"Nah. Think I want you t' be a god-awful fighter?"

Beth narrowed her eyes at him; but her annoyance was almost completely drained away by the slight grin he gave her in response, his serious demeanour dropping for a second. He was doing it more now; grinning and smiling at her. Letting his guard down. She was catching a look in his eyes, every now and again as well, that was open and contented and it made her warm and blush under his gaze

"Ain't ya gonna try t' get away?"

"You know that I can't."

Daryl nodded; "Mhm." He kept a hold of her wrist and reached underneath her arm with his other hand; "Y' ever manage to get a hold of someone like this," he fought another grin at her sharp scowl; "Y' wanna get 'em here." He reached up with his free hand, touching a finger to her exposed wrist and then up to just above her elbow, on the inside of her arm; "Or here. Get 'em there, you hit the ligaments; makes their arm useless."

Beth nodded, looking at and taking a mental note of the areas he had indicated; "Okay."

Daryl kept a hold of her, as he went on; "Y' wanna go for the kill, you go for the arteries." His two fingers slid from just above where they still pressed against the inside of her arm, further up the inside of her bicep; "Right here." He reached up further, pressing the fingers against a spot under her armpit; "Or here."

As she watched him over her shoulder, she suddenly became very aware of the feel of her heart hammering in her chest. She caught her breath, slightly, as she felt herself becoming overwhelmed by the sound of his voice in her ear, close enough that she felt his breath on her skin, disturbing the loose strands of hair on her cheek, and his touch still pressing firmly against her. The way he did each of them was filled with self-assurance and completely lacking the hesitation that he so often seemed to have when they were close.

Beth swallowed, as she studied his features, while Daryl remained oblivious, continuing to explain something to her that she couldn't make out past the reaction of her senses to his proximity.

After a moment, he seemed to sense her lack of response to what he was saying and lifted his gaze from her arm to meet her eyes with his. Beth held his gaze, as his brow furrowed slightly for a second, studying her. The puzzlement in his expression didn't last long, falling away at the same time as she bit down on her bottom lip, worrying it with her tongue. Daryl's eyes followed the movement and her own eyes dipped from his eyes down to his lips in turn. When she glanced back up at him, his eyes remained focused on her lips, the black of his irises bleeding out into the blue, and she felt a strange yearning take hold deep inside her that was altogether thrilling and unfamiliar.

Beth bit slightly harder, before releasing it, her lips parting as she did so and the movement seemed to shake him as his eyes shot from them back up to her eyes. They held one another's gaze for second, before he blinked, shook his head slightly, and abruptly released his hold on her.

It took a second for Beth to make sense of what had happened, what had almost happened, and by the time she had done so, she turned to find Daryl already packing up the backpack that they had brought out there with them.

She cleared her throat, nervous and uncertain, as she thought desperately for a safe topic of conversation to broach to nip away the sudden awkwardness; "Um…Christmas in a few days."

Daryl looked up at her from where he was crouched on the ground, zipping up the pack. He looked uneasy as he regarded her, but seemed to understand what she was trying to do and humoured her; "Rick said as much. How'd y' know, anyway?"

She shrugged, not quite meeting his eyes; "I've been keeping track. I told Carl about it, so I guess he told Rick."

Daryl nodded, slinging the backpack over his shoulder as he reached down for the crossbow; "Think they want t' do somethin' for it."

Beth forced a brightness she didn't quite feel, still thrown by the moment they had just shared; "Yeah. Yeah, it'll be good." She nodded, swallowing; "I'll make a pie or something. Think we've got enough canned fruit." She was starting to babble now and she could tell Daryl couldn't really care less about the new topic of conversation but at least they were still talkingand he hadn't just bolted, as his expression indicated he would much rather be doing.

"C'mon." Daryl reached out, as if to touch her but seemed to think better of it and hesitated, before instead just waving his hand in the direction he wished to guide her towards and inclined his head; "Gotta get back; goin' on that run."

Beth held back giving voice to the immediate thought that came to mind, that the run he referred to wasn't for another couple of hours, and did as he said, walking alongside him back in the direction of the Church.

"It's ashame, y'know, for Judith."

Daryl glanced over at her, though didn't stop walking, as she went on.

"She's old enough now but still, she hasn't had a proper Christmas. Getting presents from Santa Clause and everything." Beth could have slapped herself the moment the words left her mouth, as her nervousness led her to spout out nonsense without first thinking it through. However, when she looked over at Daryl he didn't seem bothered at all by the statement. Instead, he nodded, as if agreeing with her, seeming to consider her words for a moment.

After a second he looked at her and gave her a slight smile and she felt her uneasiness lift somewhat at the softness in his expression, as he seemed to bury any of his own discomfort at what had just happened.

xxx

Daryl was glad to have volunteered to go on the run, relieved at the opportunity to put some distance between himself and Beth for a while following the incident in the field earlier that day. If he could even call it that; it wasn't as if anything had actually happened. And the less-than-innocent scenarios that had come to his mind during that moment weren't a result of conscious thought; things had just gotten carried away, that was all.

Beth was beautiful. Her strength and her conviction, in spite of everything they had been through, still amazed him. She was good, perhaps one of the only pure and good things left in the world now;it was understandable that he might find his mind wandering a bit. Even if he had no intention of acting on such thoughts.

Beth's reaction, however, had thrown him more than his own. She hadn't shied away from his touch or from his gaze; she hadn't seemed alarmed or uncomfortable, not until he had pulled away.

He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to ponder on the way her eyes had darkened or the way her breathing had quickened. He especially didn't want to consider the way his own stomach had clenched and his heart rate had sped up as he took in the sight of her nibbling on her bottom lip like that.

Thoughts like that were dangerous; subconscious mind-wanderings were natural, consciously thinking about it was not. So he pushed all thoughts of Beth aside throughout the entirety of the run with Glenn, not thinking about her again until they were preparing to head back to the Church.

Daryl tossed the stuffed giraffe he was holding into the backseat as he climbed into the passenger side.

Glenn looked back at the toy for a second, before turning a grinning expression back to him; "That for Beth?"

Daryl glanced back at it, "Yeah." When he looked back at him, Glenn was beaming at him, a picture of unbridled mirth. Daryl rolled his eyes, settling himself back into his seat; "For Ass Kicker; she wanted a Christmas present for her."

Glenn continued to beam, nodding his head, before he started laughing. Daryl shot him an unimpressed look which only seemed to amuse his companion further as Glenn spluttered in an attempt to stifle his snickers.

He shook his head; "Sorry. Just, y'know."

"What?"

Glenn shook his head, still grinning widely, "Lighten up, man."

Daryl rolled his eyes, tugging the packet of cigarettes from his pocket that he'd come across while they'd been scavenging in the store. He lit one up, taking a long draw from it, ignoring the grinning stare he knew Glenn was still levelling his way.

Glenn chuckled again, shaking his head; "Women. Right?"

Daryl glanced over at him, his expression giving Glenn nothing.

It only took him a second to recognise the uncertainty in his posture, as if he was considering something carefully before speaking.

"Somethin' up?"

Glenn nodded, still smiling slightly; "Uh yeah. Just…well. Maggie asked me to speak to you." Daryl frowned, glancing over at him as he added; "About Beth."

Daryl took another drag of his cigarette, turning his head to look out the door; "What about her?"

"Well…y'know. It's not like it's some big secret."

"Why doesn't she just ask Beth about it?"

"She did."

Daryl looked back at him at that, suddenly curious; "And?"

Glenn shrugged; "She said you're just friends."

Daryl raised an eyebrow, ignoring a strange jab of unexpected disappointment that Glenn's statement seemed to cause; "There ya go."

Glenn raised a hand; "Forget it, none of my business."

Daryl quirked a slight smile at him, before looking back out over the grounds they had just finished scavenging, taking another long draw of his cigarette as he considered what Glenn had just asked him; even if he hadn't really asked him anything, just danced around the subject without making any real progress.

Daryl found himself still curious though; wondering why Maggie wouldn't just confront him about it herself if she had a problem with his friendship with Beth.

"Why'd she want you to talk to me about her?"

"Dunno; must be a Greene thing or something," Glenn shrugged, before he grinned; "I got it too; the whole 'intentions' talk from Hershel when me and Maggie were first starting out."

The not-so-subtle implication in Glenn's statement, along with the mention of Hershel made Daryl pause, as he suddenly understood exactly what was happening here and what other people were thinking. His thoughts turned to Hershel, the wise old man whom Daryl had respected and admired; the proud and loving father he had been to Beth and Maggie. Didn't take a genius to know that Daryl would never have measured up in his eyes, would never have been someone who would be good enough for one of his daughters.

Not that he even wanted to be.

"It ain't like that."

Glenn looked at him sharply, his expression sobering as he took in the change of Daryl's demeanour; "Oh, hey. Listen, it's not like Maggie's upset –"

"I haven't touched her," Daryl bit out, fixing him with a withering glare. Glenn swallowed before he dropped his gaze, uneasily. Daryl held the look for a second longer, before he stretched over, grabbing the handle of the passenger door and slamming it shut.

"Just drive."

xxx

Beth had spent the rest of the day taking care of Judith, while her mind continued to play over what had happened with Daryl that morning. Maggie's less than subtle suggestions meant that she really wasn't all that surprised by what had happened. He was a man; she was a woman. They were close. There was bound to be some tension there, at least if what Maggie had said was true.

It had been easy for Beth to dismiss it as that at first. A normal, physical reaction to his proximity and even that was a good enough explanation for the constant presence of the butterflies that still fluttered away in her belly whenever he touched and, now, whenever he looked at her a certain way too.

However, the more she considered it, the way they were, the less inclined she was to put the incident down to simple tension between them. It wasn't just that she felt this way when she was with him, when he looked at her, when he touched her; she wanted him to make her feel that way.

The way he had held her just two days before as she cried, and before that when she had been too cold to fall asleep, how he had made her laugh and the way he had taken her to the waterfall; those moments that made her remember that things could be good, that things were still good. Moments that reminded her there was still a future for them all; moments that made her feel alive.

That was how he made her feel. And it was a feeling she never wanted to let go.

Beth looked down sharply, a strange panic arresting her as adjusted Judith on her lap, the unexpected reality of what was happening hitting her full force.

She wanted his touch that made her stomach flutter. She wanted that smile where his expression opened up to her completely, as he only did when it was just the two of them. She wanted his voice in her ear, his breath against her cheek, and how they gave her shivers down her spine. She wanted him teaching her how to shoot crossbows, how to use knives and gut small fury animals while he laughed to himself at how grossed out she was about it.

She wanted him with her and she wanted him to want her the same way.

Beth's thoughts were running away with her and she squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head as she tried to get them under control; the realisation of her feelings for him sending her mind off into a tailspin.

"You okay?"

Beth almost jumped out of her skin when Maggie pulled out the chair next to her. Her sister raised a questioning eyebrow at her and Beth forced herself to nod, as she attempted to calm herself down while simultaneously appear completely fine under her sister's scrutiny.

"Yeah," Beth said, lifting Judith up so that she was standing on her feet on her lap; "Just trying to coax a few words out of this one."

Maggie smiled, reaching out to stroke the back of the baby's hair, making her smile brightly.

Beth stood, hoisting the toddler up onto her hip, "I'm gonna go and fix her up something to eat." She was practically bolting away from her sister but she knew she couldn't sit there, not while her mind was reeling the way it was, and not if there was a chance Maggie might decide to bring up Daryl again or, worse, call her out on how she felt about him. She wasn't ready for that.

She headed from the small office room down towards the kitchenette and was half way through preparing something for Judith to eat when Daryl and Glenn walked into the small room, each of them carrying a box full of supplies.

Beth swallowed away any uneasiness she felt, giving them both a smile; "Hi."

"Hey," Glenn said, returning her smile.

She glanced up at Daryl who only inclined his head at her in acknowledgement, as he put the box down on the countertop next to her, rummaging through the items inside and pulling out any that were meant for the kitchen.

Beth frowned, instantly picking up on his distant demeanour; one which didn't make sense, considering the relaxed terms on which they had left things earlier that day.

"You okay?"

"Mhm."

He didn't look at her when he spoke, his attention completely on the task at hand, plucking out the foodstuff that was in the box and pushing it into the open cupboard that she had just been taking things from.

Beth looked at him, puzzled at his standoffish attitude, as he still refused to meet her eyes; "Carol and I made stew earlier. I can heat some up for you both if you like?"

Glenn nodded, looking incredibly uncomfortable as he carried on unloading his own box, while Daryl ignored the offer.

"Daryl?" she raised an eyebrow at him, attempting to catch his eye. Though when she did, she almost wished she hadn't, the uninterested gaze with which he met her with taking her off-guard. She swallowed; "You want some?"

He shook his head; "Nah." He lifted the box from the counter; "Got things to do." And then walked from the room.

Beth could only stand there and watch him go, too baffled by the way he had brushed her off to react. She caught what seemed to be an apologetic glance from Glenn as he lifted his own box and also headed out.

Beth hoisted Judith higher up on her hip, all previous thoughts that she had been mulling over pushed aside in light of this most recent encounter; Daryl's cold aloofness hitting her so suddenly and leaving her emotions warring with one another, as she was left wondering whether the unexpected attitude had left her more confused or hurt.

Or just plain angry.


	12. Day Fourteen

Daryl opened his eyes to find a small furry giraffe had been watching him sleep.

He frowned, pulling back and raising himself slightly, before his eyes roamed up higher and he saw Beth sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of him, holding the stuffed animal in her lap. She raised an eyebrow at him, the only acknowledgement she made when she noticed him waking up. He swallowed, still frowning in confusion and leaning back onto his elbows as he regarded her.

Following his brush off of her in the kitchen two days before, Beth had alternated between trying to catch his eye and giving him the cold shoulder, while he had been pretending not to notice. Meanwhile, thanks to the less than subtle exchange with Glenn, Daryl couldn't help but notice that their distance was now considered something of interest by others in the group and he was uncertain as to how to approach their curiosity.

Really, he wanted to tell them all to back off and mind their own business but he figured that would only pique their interest more. And then Beth would hear all about it as well and he wasn't all that sure he wanted to deal with her thoughts on the matter either.

So, Daryl had opted to stick with Rick the previous day who, thankfully, hadn't questioned what was going on between them this time. In fact, most people were giving him a wide berth.

Now, though, Beth was sitting in front of him, studying him while giving nothing away in her own expression. Daryl titled his head to the side, questioningly, puzzled by her change in approach, not saying anything as he glanced down at the toy she was holding.

"You done being a jackass?"

Daryl met her eyes sharply, surprised at the brazenness of her opening. She quirked an eyebrow at him, though he could see that little glint in her eye that he was becoming accustomed to. He pursed his lips together, raising an eyebrow; "You oughta watch your mouth."

Beth lifted the giraffe up, inspecting it dramatically; "So, you got this for me after the last time we spoke?"

He eyed it; "Where'd ya get it?"

"Glenn gave it to me."

Daryl's eyes snapped back up; "He did?"

"Mhm," she shrugged as she put it down between them; "He said something went down on the run. Didn't really say what happened though."

Daryl nodded slowly, before he pushed himself up into a sitting position, drawing up his knees to his chest; "Bad day, 's all."

"How come?"

"Don't matter."

Beth was looking at him, contemplatively, as if she wanted to push for more information but after a moment she glanced around, noting the other sleeping forms around them before she nodded; "Okay."

Daryl figured he should apologise; he'd caught the hurt in her eyes from the occasional glance she'd thrown his way the day before, could see she was confused by it all. Could see she was still confused now, even if she was trying to put a brave face on it; or whatever this was supposed to be.

But he didn't know how to do it without explaining properly what had happened; he wasn't even really sure why the conversation with Glenn had made him so angry. And he didn't want to have to bring up the issue of what had happened between them in that field either, nor the fact that Glenn and Maggie had paired them up in their minds and apparently were concerned about his wayward intentions towards her.

So he didn't say anything; just held her look and hoped she understood.

Her contemplative expression softened after a moment and then she smiled. She pushed herself to her feet, still crouching low as she snatched up the toy from the ground and then reached for his hand, grasping it tightly with hers, tugging him to his feet with her.

Daryl figured he should pull away; should maintain the distance he'd been trying to establish between them. Glenn's words had set it off but if he didn't want anything going further, if the whole thing needed to be nipped in the bud now, then this was his chance. People talking, he could handle that; but that, coupled with what had happened during their training made him see things a little differently. Things were getting complicated. This could get messy.

But then she cast a glance at him over her shoulder, still clutching his hand tight in hers, with one of those smiles that were so bright that he could see it shining in her eyes as well and he knew that resisting was pointless. Distancing himself from her was easy when her response was to walk away; this, though, he couldn't pull back from.

Beth pulled him through the scattering of sleeping bodies on the floor, some of them peering up at them with sleepy curiosity as Beth held his hand tight; "Come on."

"Where?"

She turned to look at him, that smile still brightening her features; "We're gonna get a Christmas Tree."

Xxx

The hacking of the axe against the trunk of the tree Beth had chosen reverberated in the clearing.

Daryl reached up, wiping away the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand as he glanced in her direction; "Just gonna sit there?"

"Mhm."

Beth wasn't all that sure how to approach the new, unexpected conflict that she had found herself in with Daryl the day before. At first, she had put his distance down to a delayed reaction to what had happened between them during their training session; a way of letting her down 'gently', if completely shutting her out and refusing to even be within one foot of her could be considered as such. But she knew Daryl wasn't exactly an expert when it came to expressing himself, particularly when he was taken off guard or freaked out about something.

Still, that didn't lessen the sting and she had alternated between wanting to march up to him and confront him directly versus completely shutting him out in response as well. She caught his glances every now and again throughout the duration of the day, even from a distance when he was out by the fences with Rick; she knew what was going on was playing on his mind as well.

Yet, she still couldn't make sense of his extreme response to what had happened. She figured they could surely just forget the whole thing had ever happened; if he didn't want anything like that from her, it wasn't as if she was going to force him into anything. He didn't even know about her new realisation of her feelings for him and she was certain he couldn't suspect anything, as until the day before she hadn't even been aware of them herself.

She had spent most of the previous day with Maggie and Judith, before joining Carl with the baby and making paper Christmas decorations to deck the Church with for their celebrations. Decorations made of paper, dotted and designed with coloured pencils and crayons, weren't exactly the most satisfying way of dressing up the room but it was better than just the couple of garlands and the Nativity scene they had found in one of the storage cupboards. All the while, she had willed herself to put Daryl and her feelings for him to the back of her mind; ignore him just like he was ignored her.

That was until Glenn had approached her when she finally found herself alone for the first time that night; dropped the little stuffed giraffe on her lap and told her Daryl had gotten it for her while they were on the run. The whole thing made no sense; if he had been so unhappy with the direction things had taken during their session that morning, if he had been so resolved on putting this distance between them, then surely bringing her things like stuffed animals that she hadn't even asked for completely undermined his intentions.

Daryl reached down, lifting the axe back up to carry on; "Y' wanted a Christmas Tree but ain't willing to help out?"

"Nothing I can do right now." Beth shrugged, not moving from where she was sitting on the log observing him; "Least you could do anyway."

Passive aggression probably wasn't the best approach but, despite her confidence that Daryl really wasn't all that unhappy with her, she couldn't help but still be a little miffed at his treatment of her the day before. Even if he had returned back to his, relatively, normal way of behaving with her.

Daryl glanced back at her, eyeing her uncertainly for a moment, clearly picking up on the fact that he wasn't quite forgiven yet.

Beth raised an eyebrow, deciding enough was enough; "What happened with Glenn?"

Daryl dropped his eyes from hers, stepped back around the trunk, raising the axe; "Expect me to believe y' don't already know?" He brought the axe down, the sound of it hitting the trunk making her flinch slightly.

He did have a point; she had a fair idea of what had happened between the two of them on the run. Not much, but she had mentioned her confusion over the toy to Maggie that night and her sister had implied that it had something to do with her. That was all Beth needed to hear for her to push and push until Maggie had finally conceded that Glenn had asked him what was going on between them.

She was furious at them. At all of them. Glenn and Maggie for sticking their noses in where it didn't belong and Daryl for taking out his irritation over the whole thing on her.

"Just because they're idiots; that doesn't give you the right to treat me like crap." The statement was reminiscent of an argument they had had before, and she figured Daryl picked up on that from the way he stopped his movements, hooking the axe over his shoulder as he turned to look at her for a moment before responding.

He swallowed, before he shrugged; "Yeah…well; I'm a dick," he unhooked the axe, turning and raising it again; "Figured y' woulda learned that by now." He brought the blade down hard against the tree.

"Hmm." Beth bit her lip, glancing away from him; "So I noticed."

She heard him sigh. "Look." Daryl loosened his hold on the weapon, letting it tip and fall hard so that the top of the blade rested on the ground, while he gripped the end. He shook his head, meeting her eyes head on; "I ain't good at this, Beth."

Beth frowned; "What?"

"This." He indicated between the two of them with his hand; "This thing we got goin' on here."

"Friendship?"

Daryl looked hesitant, before he nodded slowly, averting his eyes; "Right." He looked down at the ground, rolling the blade on the axe against the dirt; "Just ain't sure what you expect me to say."

Beth raised an eyebrow; "Apologising would be a good start."

"Why?"

Beth shook her head, baffled at the question; "What do you mean why?"

"Y'already know that I am; why'd ya need me to say it?"

"Um…because that's what friends do when they piss each other off?" Beth pointed out, before crossing her arms across her chest and eyeing him up and down; "And what makes you think I know that, anyway?"

Daryl shrugged, averting his eyes again; "Dunno." He stepped back, shuffling awkwardly, before lifting up the axe again; "Just something y' do."

"Something I do?"

"Y'know." He stepped around the tree, before bringing down the axe again; "Reading folk," he waved a hand, dismissively; "Whatever." He brought the axe back down once more, slamming it down against the trunk and a loud cracking sound echoed throughout the clearing as the tree finally fell to the ground.

Beth sighed, shaking her head; "Yeah," she rolled her eyes, still not entirely satisfied with the exchange; "Whatever," she mimicked him, before looking down contemplatively at her hands that were resting on her lap.

The two of them were quiet, neither of the moving or saying a word. After a moment Beth glanced up at him and caught him regarding her carefully; his expression a mixture of consideration, confusion and regret. He held her eyes when she looked at him, before he walked uncertainly towards her, dropping the axe to the ground as he approached.

Beth bit her lip, nervously, as he took a seat next to her on the fallen log. She watched as he clasped his hands together, not looking at her as he frowned while glancing out over the clearly. After a moment he swallowed and turned his head, meeting her eyes.

He drew in a breath, before he shook his head, mumbling a quiet; "m' sorry."

Beth wanted to ask him for what; wanted to know more. Wanted to know why. But even this was more than she had expected from him and the way his expression opened up for a second, the way his eyes revealed that vulnerability that she knew was there but that he always tried so hard to conceal meant it was impossible for her to be anything but grateful in that moment. After a second her own expression softened and she smiled at him and she saw the relief in his eyes as he returned her smile with a small one of his own, before he shyly dropped his eyes back to the ground.

Beth was still smiling as she gently nudged him with her arm; "Wasn't so hard was it?"

"Pfft." Daryl rolled his eyes, getting to his feet. He reached back down as he walked away from her, lifting the axe back up as he approached the fallen tree.

"I accept, by the way."

Daryl scoffed, glancing back at her and she could see that he was carrying himself lighter, more relaxed than before as he shook his head; "Don't need to tell me things I already know."

"Ouch," she grinned, and she caught a smile tug at his lips again as he turned and indicated at the tree.

"Ya gonna help me with this thing or what?"

Beth rolled her eyes before giving him another smile, pushing herself to her feet to join him.

xxx

Daryl knew he was in trouble. He knew it was better that he just walk away now, before things got too much. Before things became complicated. Hell, they already were.

Beth Greene was something else; something he had never known or encountered before. Good and bright; observant and sassy. The way she could read him both amazed and concerned him; the way she called him out unnerved him; and the way she made him want to be open, be real with her was startling. And the fact that people were starting to notice them, giving him those knowing grins when the two of them had returned with that damn tree earlier that day only made him more uneasy.

And yet, the uneasiness he felt couldn't outweigh the thrill. The panic he felt when he thought about what might happen didn't make him want to be around her any less. If anything, he wanted more and more of her; it was as if he couldn't get enough of her.

He shouldn't want it; should want to spend so much time with her and he shouldn't think about her so much. He didn't have a right to; she was too good, too pure. And why she seemed to want to spend all this time with him, why she had sought him out even after he had been a complete dick to her the previous day didn't make any sense to him. If anything, what had happened the day before should have made her see he was no good for her; couldn't give her anything that was worth a damn.

And yet, she did come back. She did call him out. And she was still there, with him; she still wanted to be.

As long as she did, he couldn't fight it. He didn't want to. And he doubted he could if he tried.

Daryl had realised it that morning, when she had grasped him by the hand and given him that smile; one of those ones that shone in her expression and there in her eyes.

In that moment, he realised it; there was no place in the world that she could go that he wouldn't follow.

She had him.

And he was trying his damn hardest not to run.


	13. Day Fifteen

The lashing of rainfall on the roof woke him early the next morning.

Daryl arose slowly, his first glimpse of the Church sanctuary revealing that the lightening in the room was still dim, the sun only just starting to rise and casting a soft glow into the room. He pushed himself up onto his elbow, leaning on his side as he glanced out around the other sleeping forms that were scattered throughout the room.

His eyes went to Beth, or where she should be, where only a rumpled, empty sleeping bag lay in her usual spot. He frowned, glancing around the room but she was nowhere in sight. He frowned, rubbing a hand over his face, before he pushed himself up into a seating position but when he rolled from his side to his back he felt something hard and solid pressing against his hip.

He shifted his position before reaching back and grabbing the item, pulling it out from beneath the folds of his blanket where it was tangled up in. He stared down at the object he was holding; a small, rectangular object that was messily wrapped with two magazine pages and tied up with a red ribbon.

The ribbon he recognised; it was the same one he had found and tied around the knife he had given to Beth the week before.

A square piece of paper coloured in green was threaded through the ribbon, 'Merry Christmas' written across the front of it in red.

Daryl eyed the little package he was holding, recognising it for what it was; a Christmas present and only then did he remember that it was Christmas Day. Though how he could forget, with the way Beth had been bringing it up for the past couple of weeks, he didn't know.

He fingered the little paper, noticing there was something written on the other side as well as he did. He flicked the paper over:

Daryl.  
Finally found you.  
Santa Clause.

Daryl felt a smile play on his lips at her word choice; the statement harking back to their argument so long ago in that shack. He reached up, tugging at the ribbon so that it came undone and, when it did, the magazine pages she had used as wrapping paper fell away and revealed the item inside.

It was a book; The Wind in the Willows.

Daryl felt a jolt at the sentimentality behind the gesture; stunned for a moment by the item he held in his hand as he remembered their conversation back on the hunt, over a week before, one that he hadn't even thought about since. A conversation he, at the time, had figured Beth wasn't even really paying attention to. And yet she had been, had taken it all in. Somehow, she'd managed to get her hands on this book that his mother hadn't managed to finish reading to him as a child.

It was a worn copy; a hardback with the sleeve discoloured and torn in several places, the spine buckled slightly from frequent use. And yet, the little book in his hand was probably the kindest gesture he had ever had directed toward him since the day he was born.

He felt something strange swell within him; a gratitude and affection for her entirely unrelated to the present itself but instead for the meaning behind what she had done. He reached up, biting down on the tip of his thumb as he regarded the item, glad of the fact that Beth had left the present for him to open alone.

He swallowed, before reaching back down and flipping open the cover of the book, only mildly surprised to find writing inside the cover as well.

"You just get moments of happiness." – Some Star Wars Dude.

Daryl released a small breath, a puff of amusement as he rolled his eyes at the selective quotation that she had written; how the negative statements around it that he had said at the time were omitted. Typical Beth Greene, always seeing the silver lining in everything.

Daryl lay back down against the hard floor, the book resting against his chest, and tucked his hand beneath his head. He listened to the sounded of the rain falling as his mind wandered back to that girl who had somehow snuck up on him and torn down every wall he had ever built up to keep anyone from getting to close.

xxx

Laughter echoed throughout the Church sanctuary.

Beth bounced Judith on her knee for a second before Rick smiled and reached over the plates and cups that were lain out in a long perfect rectangle shape on the floor, representative of the dining table that they didn't have. Including Judith, sixteen people sat crossed legged on the floor, eight opposite seven, as they chatted merrily among themselves and finished up the last of the venison stew that Beth and Carol had made earlier that day.

Rick poked at the stuffed giraffe that his daughter clutched tightly in her hands, having not let go of it since opening it with him underneath the tree first thing that morning; "You like this thing, huh?"

Judith babbled her affirmation of the statement, holding her first real toy close, as observers 'aww'ed at the display. Rick smiled as he turned his head in Daryl's direction, where he sat on the opposite side of the line; "Thanks, man."

Daryl shook his head; "Tellin' me y' don't believe in Santa Clause, Rick?"

The others laughed while Rick grinned at him.

"Okay, who wants pie?" Carol asked with a smile, as she reached to start gathering up the plates that were now practically licked clean by everyone. There were numerous eagerly affirmative responses, as Beth also moved to gather up the plates and spoons closest to her.

"Kinda pie is it?" Abraham asked.

"Peach," Carol said.

There were numerous exaggerated groans, everyone having had enough peaches to last a lifetime; the one thing the Church had seemed to have plenty of when they had arrived being dozens of tins of canned peaches in its cupboard.

Maggie waved a hand, raising her voice to drown out the noise; "Hey, my sister's pies are the best; don't knock 'em 'til you've tried 'em."

Beth smiled affectionately at her sister, before laughing as Maggie wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in for a kiss on the cheek. She wiggled free with a bright smile, as she pushed herself to her feet, clutching the pile of plates she had in her hands tightly as she followed Carol from the Church sanctuary down the corridor to the kitchen.

"This is nice," Beth remarked, still smiling as the two of them stepped into the kitchenette, putting the plates down on the counter.

Carol smiled, "It is." She shook her head; "I never thought we'd have this again, after the prison."

Beth swallowed, her smile fading slightly as she nodded; "Funny how we can still find things to keep us going; things like this. Holidays and stuff. Some of the things that happened this year…" she looked down, the darker memories of everything that had happened that year passing by her mind; the prison, the hunt, the kidnapping, Terminus. Her father.

Beth pushed it to the back of her mind, focusing on the now and when she did so a smile came easily, one that didn't even need to be forced; "It's good though. That we can still have this. That we still find things to live for."

Carol was looking at her nodding, smiling slightly, before she raised an eyebrow; "Things like love?"

Beth met her eyes sharply. Carol's smile widened and Beth found herself blushing; out of embarrassment or affirmation she wasn't entirely sure. Carol chuckled at her response, before wrapping an arm around her shoulders and giving her a squeeze. Beth found herself fighting a smile as a small giggle escaped her and she squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head; "No."

"No?"

Beth met her eyes shyly, biting her lip.

Carol's amused smile softened into one of understanding and she nodded, "Your secret's safe with me."

"Secret? What's the secret?" Glenn asked, as he walked into the room carrying a small box that he placed on the counter.

"Nothing interestin'," Beth replied, crossing her arms across her chest as her brother-in-law grinned at her. She peered into the box, noting the several bottles that were in them. She raised an eyebrow, looking at him; "Wine?"

"Yeah, I know. It's all I could find on the run."

Beth rolled her eyes; "That's not what I meant. Rick isn't going to want us all getting smashed; what if walkers show up?"

Glenn shared a glance with Carol, inclining his head in Beth's direction with a grin; "Eighteen going on eighty."

Carol laughed, as Beth smacked him playfully in the side. She rolled her eyes, stepping backwards to head out of the room: "I'm gonna go and get the pies."

xxx

Daryl abstained from the wine that Glenn had offered. The wine had been brought in to the majority of the groups delight and a small amount of concern. The four who intended to take a turn at watch that night, himself, Rick, Abraham and Michonne, as well as Bob, all turned down the alcohol while the rest of them assured one another that they wouldn't get too drunk and rowdy.

Rick had cornered Daryl soon after the wine had made its appearance, asking what he thought of the idea of more than half the group potentially getting wasted on booze when their shelter wasn't entirely safe from any outside threats. The question had been half-hearted though, and Daryl got the impression that his friend actually wouldn't have minded partaking in a little drinking himself. Neither of them wanted to put a damper on the festivities and, for once, wanted to grant everything the opportunity to just live for the moment and forget about the shit that waited outside these four walls.

So Daryl had assured him it would be fine. He believed it too; if only because just a few weeks before he had taken Beth to a little shack in the middle of nowhere, allowed them both to get wasted and then burnt the place to the ground, a massive beacon of a dinner bell for any nearby walkers. Not exactly the wisest of choices but here he and Beth were, alive and well, and there was nothing about that night that he would change. Not for anything.

"We should play a game!" Sasha announced, as she lowered her cup of wine from her lips. Daryl glanced over at her from where he and Rick were standing, leaning against the wall.

Daryl met Beth's eyes across the room; caught her smile and bite her lip, the memory that came to mind the same for both of them.

"What game?" Tyreese asked.

"Spin the bottle?" Eugene offered, to roars of laughter.

"Flip, sip or strip," Maggie offered, to numerous confused glances; "Y'all don't know that game?" She proceeded to explain the rules; a player flips a coin and calls it, if they get it right, you're safe and the coin goes to the right, if you get it wrong you pass the coin to your left and either take a drink or remove an article of clothing.

"I'll go find a coin," Tara said, as people laughed, getting to her feet and heading over to the pile of blankets and sleeping bags that had been pushed into the corner.

As various other silly suggestions were thrown around, including charades, suck and blow and quarters, Daryl heard as Maggie leaned over to Beth, gently taking her arm and speaking close to her ear; "Hey, there's a piano over there y' know."

Beth looked at her, shyly, and Daryl figured the general rowdiness of the rest of the group was a bit intimidating to her. Maggie gently nudged her, increasing her volume so the rest of the room could hear; "Could use some music or something."

The rest of the group made various murmurs of agreement, Glenn nodding at Beth in encouragement. She smiled, still shyly but it was evident she was keen to play, and pushed herself to her feet, meeting Daryl's eyes as she walked by him. She smiled at him and he nodded, giving her a small smile in response, before she passed and went to sit down in front of the instrument in the corner of the room.

The voices of the group gradually died down as the melody of the tune she had chosen, 'The First Noel', filled the room. She didn't sing though and Daryl felt strangely disappointed by the fact, as her fingers moved effortlessly over the piano while the group stopped what they were doing to listen. Every other sound in the room silenced until the only sound was the music she was playing and Daryl found himself captivated by the sight of her as she lost herself in it.

You only get moments; that was what he had said to her that night over a week ago, that was what she had inscribed to him in the little book she had left for him to open that morning. But moments, moments like this, they were enough to remind him what that really meant; just how important they were. How the simple things, the happy minutes, no matter how short, made it all worth it.

It was almost unjust, that the best Christmas he had ever had was this one; that the only Christmas he had ever had was after the world had fallen apart. And yet, it didn't matter. Because all the crap they had been through, that he had been through, it all brought them here. And all that shit couldn't take this away from them.

Beth carried on playing after the first song ended; a second and then a third following before everyone gradually began their chattering again, Tara holding up the coin she had promised to retrieve, while Rick lightly protested that he didn't think drinking games were the best idea under the circumstances.

"Guess it'll just have to be clothes we're losing," someone said in response, making everyone laugh again.

Meanwhile, Beth carried on playing; the soft melody of 'Somewhere in My Memory' now filling the room along with their animated voices. Daryl pushed himself from the wall he was leaning against to approach her; the first time he had really done so that day since they had wished one another a brief Merry Christmas earlier that day, before she had set about preparing the meal with Carol.

Beth glanced up at him as he reached her, giving him a warm smile as she carried on.

Daryl hesitated for only a second, before he nodded his head at her, urging her to scoot. Her lips quirked up and her brow furrowed a little as she did as he asked, stumbling a little over the keys while he settled down on stool next to her, sitting backwards so that they were side by side, facing away from instrument.

Daryl glanced over at the group, who remained caught up in their own conversation, as Maggie repeated the rules of the game to them all.

He turned his head, gaze focusing back on the girl beside him, who appeared to be lost in her own world as she played, but the way her eyes flicked to the side for a second when he looked at her gave her away. He hesitantly leaned in slightly closer, speaking quietly so as not be overheard; "Somethin' wrong with your voice?"

A slow smile spread across her lips, before she turned her head slightly to look at him.

He raised an eyebrow, before turning away to look back at the group again.

A few moments later, he found himself fighting a smile, as Beth's voice joined the sound of the piano.

"Somewhere in my memory, Christmas joys all around me. Living in my memory: all of the music; all of the magic; all of the family home here with me."

xxx

It was well past midnight by the time Daryl had taken over from Michonne, settling down on the porch outside to take watch.

He could still hear the sounds of their voices, their laughter through the cracks of the door and found himself smiling to himself, as he leaned back against the cold wall of the building. He tapped the blade of the knife he was holding against the wooden boards that he was sitting on, as he mulled over the events of the day; the festivities and the people who he had found himself with. The family he was now a part of.

His mind drifted back further, to the first incident of the day; to the little gift that Beth had hidden in amongst his blanket for him to open. He hadn't had the chance to thank her for it yet; though he doubted that any words he could say would convey how affected he was by the gesture, nor was he sure he really wanted to express it. He figured she already knew; he didn't really need to say anything at all. Otherwise she wouldn't have gone to the effort of giving it to him at all. She knew what the sentiment behind it would mean to him.

She got it.

Just like she always seemed to get him.

It was like he had said to her the day before; it was just something she did and he didn't quite understand it enough to explain it.

He'd been on watch for a little while when the door next to him creaked open. Daryl turned his head, looking up; he wasn't surprised at all to find Beth standing there, leaning out of the door, looking at him with a smile; "You want some company?"

Daryl shrugged, with a nonchalance that completely opposed his real wishes; "If ya like."

Beth's smile widened, as she stepped outside, closing the door behind her. Daryl watched as she took a few unsteady steps towards him, the fact evidence of the amount of wine she had consumed throughout the remainder of the night, after she had abandoned playing the piano for the games that the rest of the group had been engaging in.

She stumbled, slightly, as she got closer and then, unable to regain her footing, dropped and fell on top of him, spilling the cup of wine she was holding over the both of them. She giggled, reaching up to cover her mouth as she turned herself over, so rather than lying across him she was sitting on his lap; "Sorry."

Daryl half-heartedly brushed a hand over the wet patch that had now soaked through the poncho, before raising an eyebrow at her.

Beth gave him an innocent smile, before shuffling a bit on his lap, apparently making herself comfortable; though the movements did nothing at all for his comfort and after a second he reached up, holding her still; "What are ya doin'?"

"You're very serious tonight, Mr Dixon."

Daryl figured he was always pretty serious; "You're drunk."

Beth smiled and shook her head; "Nope."

Daryl rolled his eyes, though he hesitantly allowed the arm that he had reached around to hold her still remain wrapped around her, while letting the other hand fall so that it rested on her knee. Beth snuggled into him, tucking her head under his chin; "It's cold."

"Shoulda brought a blanket."

"Does that mean I can stay?"

Daryl pursed his lips together, not answering the question, and wondered if she was aware of the flirtatious tone she had adopted. And the suggestive behaviour, if he were being honest with himself; they had never just snuggled for no reason before and she'd never before been forward enough to just come along and settle herself in his lap. In fact, it wasn't something he had ever imagined her doing to anyone, least of all him. The entire thing could be explained in one simple word; alcohol.

Daryl thanked God for wine in one thought, and then cursed himself for thinking it in the next. He shouldn't want this. And the last thing he needed was to add to the list of things he wanted from her but had no right to.

"We're lucky, y'know." Her voice was mumbled, as she spoke up from where she had settled herself against his chest.

"How's that?"

Beth shrugged, though, other than that, she remained exactly where she was; "All of this. Everything's gone to crap; but we're still here and we still get to be happy. We've got all of this; these people we love; this family."

Daryl agreed with her; at least, he agreed that he was lucky. He hadn't really had anything worth losing before; hadn't had anything worth living for before all of this. Beth had though. She had had a family; and now she had only Maggie left. She had watched everyone else die, one by one.

And yet she could still sit there and call herself lucky.

Daryl unconsciously tightened his arm around her and he felt her press into him more in response. He swallowed, wanting to give something to her; only thinking of this; "Thanks."

Beth didn't respond at first, but after a moment she shifted and lifted her head to look at him, her face closer to his than he had anticipated. She frowned; "For what?"

Daryl held her eyes for a moment, before he lowered them and shrugged; "The book." He lifted his eyes hesitantly back to hers.

Beth's expression, despite her tipsiness, quickly registered what he was saying and her features softened for a moment. Though a second later, her eyes twinkled and she raised an eyebrow; "You telling me you don't believe in Santa Clause, Daryl?"

His smile came quick, as she threw his response to Rick from earlier in the day back at him, and a wide smile spread across her lips in response. She touched the side of his lips; "You look nice when you smile."

Daryl felt himself blush as he averted his eyes; his smile vanishing instantly. And she giggled, before snuggling back against him; "You don't have to be shy; it's just me."

"Here was me thinkin' y' could hold your booze."

"Don't get grouchy; I'm not going anywhere," she murmured and he heard her yawn as she settled herself in closer.

They didn't speak again for the rest of the night, as shortly after her last statement Daryl felt her body relax against him as she drifted off to sleep. He shifted, carefully tucking the knife that rested on the porch next to him, forgotten when Beth had stumbled onto him, back into his belt, before he eased himself down a little more against the wall. As he did, Beth moved in her sleep, her form shifting as well so that her head, which had previously been tucked under his chin, now rested against the crook of his shoulder.

Daryl glanced down, the new position meaning he could see her face clearly as she slept peacefully against him. She appeared even more innocent in sleep; which only reminded him of the purity and optimism that had so moved him back when it had just been the two of them after the fall of the prison.

The same that still hadn't left her now; even after everything else that had happened since. Even when the darkness had touched her, she still remained the same, at least where it counted. She was becoming stronger but her heart remained the same; the best part of her remained untouched.

Daryl was in awe of it, of her; how someone could go through so much and yet remain so unjaded was astonishing.

He swallowed as he watched her, watched the gentle stirring of the strands of hair on her cheek as her breath hit them; or was it his breath that made them move, he wasn't sure. Their faces were close enough that it could have been. He cautiously reached up, gently brushing the hair that lay of her cheek back from her face; watched as a slight smile tugged on her lips at his touch.

Daryl raised his hand, taking his finger between his lips as he regarded her. As he thought of her, of everything that made her good, everything she had done for him, the hope she, alone, had given him when nothing else could, he felt an agonizing affection for her swell within him and a yearning so strong that it almost made him catch his breath.

He bit his lip, before leaning in closer, unable to help himself as he closed the tiny distance that separated them to gently touch his lips to her forehead, inhaling as they did and breathing her in. He only let his lips linger for a second or two, before he drew back.

As he did, Beth's eyes flickered open, meeting his. Daryl hesitated, suddenly feeling uneasily exposed as her eyes sleepily regarded him. After a second she gave him a small smile, before tucking herself back in against him and closing her eyes, quickly drifting back off to sleep.

Daryl felt his heart hammering in his chest, as he contemplated what he had just done; what she had caught him doing. And yet it wasn't quite the same uneasiness that he had felt before. Instead, it was electrifying; exciting, thrilling and a little frightening.

Daryl tightened his arms around her for a second, allowing himself that, just for the moment; because, as much as he wanted it, he knew it wasn't something he could ever have.

But moments, he reminded himself; moments like this made it all worth it.

And this one; this was golden.


	14. Day Seventeen

Something changed after Christmas.

At first, Beth figured it was just her own feelings for him clouding her judgement. That it was all just wishful thinking on her part. But in the days following Daryl's shutdown with her, she couldn't help but pick up on it. There was an easiness with which he dealt with her now; as if their confrontation on Christmas Eve had gotten through to him, had shaken him into finally letting his guard down.

She pushed it all aside; the frequent glances, the unnecessary touches, the teasing request that she sing while she was playing the piano. All those things, they were just the same as before; they weren't any different from how they had been when they were alone.

But the porch, that was different. She had been sure of it then; that something had changed for him too. Her mind had been fuzzy and her forward behaviour had been driven mostly by the wine that had flown freely early into Boxing Day morning but she remembered it all, even if she had been too hazy to respond to it at the time.

She had felt the way his arm tightened around her, now and again, either enjoying her presence there or reminding himself of her company; she had felt his fingers, gentle on her cheek, softly brushing away the wisps of hair that lay upon it; and she had felt his lips on her forehead and the way he had breathed her in, and the sensation had made it harder to breath and made her heart beat hard and fast in her chest.

When she'd opened her eyes as he drew back, she caught that tender look in his eyes, unmistakable and undeniable, before he had realised she was watching him. Before he had the chance to reign it in and offer her that one of affection that was always laced with uncertainty, as if he wasn't quite sure what they were doing either.

But she had a good enough idea of it now. She finally understood it; she realised the game they were playing.

But she didn't think Daryl did.

Beth had sensed it from the moment she had woken in his arms, early the following the morning when the sun was only just beginning to rise.

She had been awoken by the singing, or rather, howling, of a Christmas carol from just around the corner of the Church, the volume increasing as the small group of offenders had emerged from behind the building.

"Joyful all ye nations rise! Join the triumph of the skies!"

Beth's eyes had drifted open slowly, her grogginess down to a mixture of sleepiness and an impending hangover from the wine she had consumed the previous evening.

"Y'all wanna keep it down?" Daryl's voice had grumbled when they reached hearing distance; "Those cat calls are gonna bring every damn walker from here t' Wisconsin rainin' down on us."

Beth had felt a smile tug at her lips as she shifted a little in his arms, making him briefly cast a glance down at her when he realised she was awake. She heard someone respond with something along the lines of 'lighten up, Ebenezer', and had realised that, while she was still lying across Daryl's lap, cradled in his arms, at some point during the night he had taken of his poncho and draped it so that it covered the two of them.

"What ya got there under the poncho, man?" Glenn's teasing voice had been unmistakable and Beth sleepily peered over the edge of the fabric, revealing herself to the four people standing on the grass next to the porch, and within a couple of seconds whistling and whooping sounds met their ears.

"I told y'all t' shut up," Daryl had growled at them, the irritation palpable in his voice, but when Beth glanced up at him he didn't look as annoyed as his tone made him seem; instead, he'd just looked uncomfortable.

Within a few seconds of their eruption, Rick had burst out the door of the Church, his bewildered annoyance only matched by bleariness that was clearly due to having been abruptly awoken from sleep; "What's goin' on out here?"

Daryl had pursed his lips together, his arm clenching and unclenching around her, and she had quickly realised he was uncomfortable with the group's intrusion on their current state. It hadn't surprised her, really; she had noticed the way he distanced himself slightly whenever the group was around, kept himself mostly hands-off. And she had picked up on his relief when Glenn, along with his co-miscreants Maggie, Tara and Sasha, who all swayed on the grass with their arms around one another's shoulders, clearly very drunk, had turned their attention from them to Rick.

Beth had turned away, glancing up at Daryl instead, as her own drunken forwardness with him a few hours before came to mind. She'd felt herself blush a little as she met his eyes, half expecting him to look irritated or embarrassed as well; however, when he turned his attention from the group to her, his irritated expression softened and he gave her a slight smile. And she'd felt his arm tighten around her just for a second.

Beth had felt a responding smile tug at her lips, though when she turned her head more fully she felt a sudden wave of queasiness wash over her and she groaned, quietly, pressing her forehead back against his chest; "I don't feel so good."

"Gonna feel even worse later." He'd offered, quietly, in response, in his ever optimistic manner, though his attention was drawn away from her again when another two people stepped out of the Church onto the porch; Michonne and Tyreese. Daryl had immediately grumbled under his breath and then he was nudging her off of him, slipping out from underneath her and getting to his feet.

She could live with it; his awkwardness and discreetness when they were in the presence of the rest of the group. Their teasing that morning had embarrassed her too, and she was far more tactile than he was, so she could only imagine how mortified he had been.

Though his awkwardness wasn't only when they were with them. It had always been there, knitted in every look, every touch between them, like he wasn't quite sure if he was overstepping boundaries, but still doing it nonetheless when she didn't offer any objection. And even now, when he had become easier with her there was still that uncertainty in his words and his eyes when they met and lingered for more than a few seconds; like he was considering something, like maybe he wanted something and now it was driving her crazy as she wondered if her intuition was right.

If he did want her the same way that she wanted him; or if he could.

It wasn't something she had put much thought into since she had realised how she felt; how he felt about her. Everything afterwards had happened so fast, the distance he had put up between them and then Christmas. She had barely had the chance to think much on her own feelings for him but that night it had all hit her at once.

It wasn't just her imagination; she was sure of it. There was something there. Something more. Just like her sister had been hinting at for weeks.

Beth hadn't seen much of Daryl on Boxing Day; she had been nursing a killer of a headache and he had taken to the field with Rick and Tyreese to carry on creating and installing spikes to surround the perimeter of the Church fences. But the brief times she had seen him, first thing in the morning when he had brought her water as she had woken up, with some quip about it being a less-than-sufficient hangover cure and then, later, when he had returned from the field later on that night, she had picked up on the change within him.

He hadn't really said much; their conversation wasn't really anything of significance, each of them just exchanging brief details on what they had been doing throughout the day. But it was the way he spoke, his tone light, and the way he brushed her arm with a slight smile as he greeted her; "Guessin' I'm about t' hear ya say you ain't ever gonna touch another wine bottle again?"

His hand had lingered on her arm as they spoke, before giving it a squeeze as their conversation finished up and he nodded and smiled at her, before heading off.

Individually, each of these things wasn't all that big of a deal. They didn't have to mean anything. Together, though, they did. She was sure of it.

Something had changed between them; for both of them. Something was happening.

She knew, even if he didn't realise it yet; she wasn't alone in this.

xxx

"I know how to throw a punch, Daryl."

"Show me."

It was a challenge; they could both hear it in his voice, even if he hadn't really intended it to come out that way. He found himself doing that a lot since Christmas; had found himself more willing to be playful with her. More willing to relax. It was just like before; when they had been alone. And he had to admit he preferred it that way; when he was with her, that it just the two of them. No audience or commentary necessary. The embarrassing display on the porch the previous morning only reinforcing that preference.

Beth sighed, putting her hands on her hips as she glared at him where he stood; "I thought we were supposed to be knife training?"

"Ain't not point doing it halfway; 'sides, a knife 'll only get ya so far. Happens if you drop it?"

He figured it was a valid point, considering it took her last opponent mere seconds to disarm her before and Beth seemed to understand the logic in his statement as well, as she sighed and lifted her arm, making a fist. And a pretty unimpressive fist, at that.

"Stop."

She raised her eyes to his, her brow furrowing slightly as she regarded him; "Why?"

He pointed at her hand; "That ain't how you make a fist."

She glanced down at it, before holding it up and raising an eyebrow; "Looks good to me."

"Hit somethin' with that, you're gonna break your thumb."

Beth frowned, looking back at it; "How?"

"You've got it tucked into your hand. Needs to be outside your fingers."

Beth met his eyes, holding his look for a second, before casually flicking her thumb out from under her curled fingers.

Daryl's lips quirked slightly at the defiance in her expression; "'kay, hit me."

"What?"

"Go on. Like you would if you were fightin' someone."

Beth looked at him hesitantly for a moment, before she stepped closer and pulled her arm back, then bringing it forward to strike him in the stomach; she lessened the momentum as her fist drew closer, so there was very little impact when it hit.

Beth raised her eyes to Daryl's unimpressed ones.

Beth sighed and dropped her shoulders; "What? I don't wanna hurt you."

Daryl scoffed; "You ain't gonna hurt me. 'specially not if you throw a punch like that."

Beth narrowed her eyes at him, before pulling her arm back once again, and landing a firmer punch in the same spot; not a hard one, but enough that a little grunt escaped him when it hit. She raised an eyebrow at him, while he returned her look evenly.

He reached up, taking hold of her wrist from where it was still pressed against his stomach; "You're hittin' with the wrong part," he pointed out, before adding; "And y' throw it like a girl."

Beth glared at him with mock affront; "So, what, I'm a lost cause?"

"Nah. Just gonna take some practice."

"So we're gonna be out here a while then?"

Daryl raised his eyes to hers, trying to get a read on whether or not she considered that a bad thing; "Don't have to be. Could go back now if ya like."

Beth rolled her eyes, shooting him a wry smile and snatching her wrist back from his hand; "That's not what I meant. And you better be careful, y'know. A lot of students end up surpassing their teachers."

Daryl pursed his lips together and fought a smile; "That supposed to be a threat? 'cause I think I'll take my chances."

Beth raised an eyebrow; "So will I."

Daryl averted his eyes, still fighting a smile, before looking back at her and giving her an accepting nod; "Alright. Guess we better get started then."

He reached out, touching a hand to her arm and turning her, so that they both turned and faced one another; "Maybe if there's actual stakes involved y' might pay attention to what I'm teachin' for once."

Beth shook her head, laughing; "Oh you are so on."

"Don't get cocky; y' don't even know how t' throw a punch yet."

Beth raised an eyebrow, before she took a step forward, drawing her arm back and attempting to land another punch in the same place as before. This time, however, he wasn't teaching and it wasn't training; it was tomfoolery and he was more than happy to engage her as he grabbed the offending fist as it came at him and spun her around, so he caught her in a tight grip against him; her back to his chest.

She laughed and wiggled against him, struggling to free herself.

"Is this how y' try t' get away from someone who's got a hold on ya? Guess we got a lot of work t' do."

He let out a 'humph' as her elbow suddenly dug back into diaphragm in a sharp strike, making him let go of her, and she bounded away from him, turning around with a wide smile; "Now who's cocky?"

Daryl gave up the fight he was having with his facial muscles, allowing a smile to come to his lips, and he indicated with a nod for her to come over; "C'mon. 's get started."

"No."

"What d'ya mean 'no'?"

"I think it's a trap."

Daryl scoffed, shaking his head; "It ain't a trap. I'm trying t' teach ya somethin'."

Beth crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, playfully.

Daryl rolled his eyes; "C'mon. It's gettin' late."

"Late? It's probably not even lunch time."

"Beth."

He noticed her expression change as she recognised the seriousness of his tone; no longer playful but back to training-mode.

She sighed and rolled her eyes, dropping her shoulders as she practically dragged her feet to return to him; "Yes, sir," she said, with pretend submissiveness.

Daryl gave her a moment, waited until she walked right up beside him, completely unsuspecting before he reached out, flinging his arm around her shoulders and pulling her down into a headlock at his side. She squealed, and he cringed, his eyes habitually scanning the clearing for any sights of walkers, before he chuckled as she hit repeatedly against his stomach to get free.

"Let me go! What are you doing?"

"Teachin' ya a lesson."

"What lesson?"

"Never let your guard down."

He grinned and she laughed, before landing a harder smack against his stomach and he stumbled back, allowing her to escape from the lock he had her in, but he kept a grip on her arm and she reached up, grasping both of his tightly as they steadied themselves.

Beth's eyes met his, as they stilled, standing close to one another. Her eyes still shone bright with mirth and that smile still played on her lips as her eyes scanned his face. Her eyes rested on his lips as her playful expression dimmed somewhat. Her tongue darted out, briefly, flicking against her own, before she bit down on the bottom one and raised her eyes to his to meet his gaze. The look he read in them was almost expectant, anticipating his next move, practically daring him to make it.

It wasn't the first time he had felt as if she was daring him to do something; it wasn't the first time they found themselves in a position like this. A knife edge, so to speak. But it was the first time Beth had been so obvious about it. It was the first time she had ever given him a real indication that she wanted it.

It wasn't only panic that hit him this time, though, when he realised what they were doing. There was something else there too; a longing, a consideration that he hadn't really allowed himself to engage in before. He tightened his grip on her arm as his eyes dropped to her lips; but while every part of his body screamed at him to do it, to just take the leap, his mind screamed ever louder; don't.

Daryl released a breath at the same time as he released his hold on her and he saw the mirth in her eyes extinguish as he did. He wouldn't let this become a thing; this tension was just something they were going to have to live with. He wouldn't shut her out this time; he just wouldn't entertain that it could be anything more than what it was.

He touched her arm again and she raised her eyes back to his, looking surprised at the contact.

He raised an eyebrow; "Y' wanna learn this thing?"

He saw her swallow, as she looked at him with careful consideration for a moment, before she visibly relaxed and she shrugged, giving him a smile; "Yup."

He nodded, tugging her back towards the area of the grass that they had started on; "C'mon then."

xxx

It was just getting frustrating now.

Beth glared at Daryl where he slept, completely oblivious to her musings, from where she was bundled up in her sleeping bag a few feet away from him.

She knew he wanted it too. What had happened while they had been training earlier that day could be taken as nothing but a big-fat confirmation of her suspicions.

She was getting tired of dancing around the issue. She wanted something; something more. Especially now that she'd seen the way he'd looked at her earlier that day; one he hadn't even tried to conceal as they'd stood there.

She didn't know why he was being so stubborn about it. Why he was holding himself back.

She wasn't sure what he was expecting, what he was waiting for. She had made it more than clear that she wanted it too.

And she'd be damned if she was going to be the one to make the first move.

That was what he was supposed to do; he was the guy, after all. And wasn't that what they were supposed to do in these sorts of situations? At least, that's always what she had been accustomed to in her previous relationships; Jimmy and Zach had followed her around, wooed and flirted with her.

Daryl Dixon, however, had done none of these things.

And yet, he had her. He'd caught her. Without even meaning to, Beth guessed, from the way he kept running and coming back.

He hadn't run this time though. He'd stayed.

Whether or not that was progress, she didn't know.

All she knew was that they had somehow got themselves caught up in this tango with one another and she didn't want to play the game anymore.

She wanted answers. She wanted more.

Her patience was wearing thin; and she wasn't sure how long she was willing to wait now that she realised it.

If she was willing to wait at all.


	15. Day Eighteen

Daryl tried not to think about it.

Tried not to think about the way his relationship with Beth was changing. He could feel it, could sense it in the way she had approached him the previous day. Her disappointment was tangible following the incident during their training session. He wasn't really sure how to handle it all. His own feelings for her, they were easy; he was used to living with disappointment, used to not getting what he wanted. He could easy push aside his own desires on the matter.

That Beth appeared to be interested, that she seemed to want to explore that boundary, made things even more complicated than he had previously thought. He wasn't sure if he should try to bring it up in some way, make it clear that it wasn't something that could happen and that he didn't have anything to offer her, or if he should just feign ignorance and let the whole thing run its course. He doubted her interest would last very long. Soon enough, some other guy would come along; some asshole who could give her everything she needed and then this whole thing would be forgotten, just be some passing memory that she'd barely even remember.

If he were honest, after all that she knew about him, he didn't really understand why she was expressing any interest at all towards him in the first place.

But he didn't want to distance himself from her; that method had failed epically before. And he didn't want to lose what they had just because he was concerned that 'something more' would somehow become an issue between them, because that was something so far out of his comfort zone he had no idea how he would respond to it.

He'd never connected like this; not to anyone. He didn't know if more was the next logical step; but he did know that it wasn't something he would be any good at. He did know that he couldn't give her what she would want out of a connection like that; he wasn't that guy. He wasn't Rick, he wasn't Glenn.

What they were now, he could do; he was figuring it out. This he couldn't mess up. At least, no more than he already had. Not in a way that could really hurt her.

As Daryl stepped up to the car, he decided that, today, he would focus on the run. Focus on providing for the group. And there was no room for dwelling on this issue that he and Beth seemed to have gotten themselves tied up in over the past few days while they were out there; on the road, it was safety first.

No complications. No emotions. Just survival. He could do that; that was what he was best at.

"You okay?"

Daryl glanced over at Beth as he climbed into the backseat of the car, where she sat on the opposite side looking at him with her brow slightly furrowed. He nodded; "Mhm." He pulled the door closed, as Glenn slammed the passenger door shut and Rick climbed into the driver's seat.

"So this is your first run, Beth?" Glenn asked, looking over his shoulder at her with a grin; "'s almost a rite of passage."

Beth returned his grin and shrugged; "I've been on the road before."

"Yeah, but this is different," Glenn insisted, as the car hit the road; "You don't have to be out here."

Beth shrugged; "Guess I wanted a change."

"Maggie almost had a fit."

"She'll do fine," Daryl spoke up, drawing Beth's attention back to him. He reached into the holster he was wearing, pulling out the pistol that was hanging there. He glanced down at it, turning it over in his hand for a second before he held it out to her.

Beth eyed it hesitantly, it being the first time she would have held a gun since the man she had shot just over a week before. He watched as she swallowed and reached out, taking the weapon from him. She looked up at him, giving him a small smile; "Thanks."

He nodded, letting the hand that had handed her the weapon linger and touch against hers for a second, a reassurance, he told himself, before he turned his attention out to the passing scenery.

It was a twenty mile journey and it took less than half an hour for them to reach the superstore that he and Rick had located on the map the previous evening, with little challenge whatsoever, with the exception of a few car pile ups that they had to drive around. The littered deceased bodies and the odd walker roaming along the side of the road was commonplace now; something that they barely battered an eyelid at anymore.

The four of them exited the vehicle, heading up towards the store; Beth and Daryl falling behind the others as they went up ahead to lure any lurking walkers to the windows.

"Y' can just stay by me if ya want," Daryl suggested, more for his benefit than hers, as he wondered if he'd be able to concentrate on gathering any supplies if, at the back of his mind, he was constantly worrying as to where she was.

Beth raised an eyebrow; "You don't think I can handle it?"

"Never said that."

She rolled her eyes, a wry smile on her lips; "You're just getting in a dig about my combat skills."

He bit his lip, "Nah." He denied the claim; then added; "Ain't exactly the best, though."

Beth shot him a look.

He shrugged, before glancing down at her belt; "Y' got your knife?"

"Mhm." She patted it.

He nodded; "'kay. Y' run into any trouble, y' call out, got it?"

"You weren't this overprotective when we were looking through that country club."

"I ain't being overprotective," Daryl bristled; "Just tellin' ya if y' need me, I'll be there."

He could see a smile playing on her lips for a second, before she glanced at him out the corner of her eye; "I'll just stay by you."

Daryl fought not to let his relief show, the 'overprotective' remark leaving him self-conscious, and he was glad they had been out of earshot of the others when she had made it.

"Make sure ya keep up then."

Beth shot him an irritated glare as they reached the entrance to the store, where Rick and Glenn were already coaxing out any walkers. The four of them took care of them quickly, only ten or so coming to the entrance, before they went on in, splitting into two groups as they went about gathering anything they considered useful.

Daryl led them to the pharmacy section, holding a finger to his lips when he noticed a stray walker heading the opposite direction down one of the aisles. Beth nodded, acknowledging the signal and followed quietly.

xxx

Beth would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous.

It had been a while since she'd found herself in a dangerous situation, the attack during the hunt notwithstanding. She figured the last time she had been scavenging had been almost two months ago, perhaps longer, when she and Daryl had been out on the road together. She didn't really know what had driven her to volunteer to go, against her sister's most vehement wishes, but she was training up with Daryl to be stronger, to adapt to this world and it was necessary for her to learn how to handle herself outside the safety of their shelter.

She wouldn't go back to how she had been before; she wouldn't let herself become complacent and ignore everything that was going on outside. She'd adapt, she'd toughen up.

The fact that Daryl was with her helped. Though she knew she shouldn't learn to depend on him too heavily, she couldn't help but feel that bit safer whenever the two of them were together.

Beth and Daryl stepped into the pharmacy, after he did a quick scan of the area. They quietly walked around, her behind him, as they gathered up medications, medical supplies and other items of use, shoving them into their packs.

As they rounded the corner, Beth snatched up a packet of pretzels, opening them as they headed down the next aisle and digging in. Daryl made a comment at her to keep quiet and she responded by holding out the open packet to him. He eyed it for a moment, before reaching in and pulling out a handful, making her smile and playfully shove against him when she noticed there were hardly any left for her in the packet.

They carried on in almost complete silence; both of them continuing to gather up any supplies they deemed useful.

Beth attempted to discreetly gather up some sanitary towels when Daryl was looking the other way, accidentally knocking over some boxes to the left of them as she did so. Beth slung the pack over her shoulder and leaned down to pick up the three boxes that had fallen, only realising when she had straightened and was standing directly in front of Daryl that they were boxes of condoms.

Beth felt her face burn scarlet as she eyed the boxes in her hands, awkwardly raising her eyes to Daryl who was regarding the boxes with amusement.

She thought he was going to say something, a twitch of his lips indicating that a quip wasn't far from his thoughts, but then his eyes met hers and he seemed to think better of it. His expression sobered slightly and then he looked just uncomfortable, hesitating for a moment before he turned away and headed on further down the aisle without a word.

Beth quickly shoved the condoms back onto the shelf and followed him.

Maggie had asked for some but there was no way she was going to pocket them now. Glenn could get them himself.

As the two of them reached the end of one of the aisles, they came across a stand of hair bobbles that Beth reached out to grab a handful of.

Daryl eyed the articles critically and she shrugged, whispering; "What? This is my last one."

"Hmm. Surprised y' even got room for 'em in the birth control depository."

"Shut up, Daryl," she hissed, feeling herself blush again, surprised that he even brought the condoms up again, after how uncomfortable he had seemed when she was holding them. Beth saw him smirking as he eyed up and down the next aisle before signalling it was clear and had half a mind to march back up the one they were in and shove a couple of boxes into her pack to prove a point. What point, though, she wasn't sure.

Daryl's behaviour just confused her; his mixed signals constantly sending her mind reeling. One minute he's embarrassed and the next he makes jokes; he touches her freely and then backs off for days at a time; he kisses her while she sleeps and practically runs for the hills rather than do it while she's awake.

Beth pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind, reminding herself they were on dangerous turf at the moment and getting caught up in thoughts about their current emotional drama would do nothing to help her stay on her guard. She felt Daryl's hand on her arm, guiding her down the next aisle when she hadn't started moving.

She felt his hand linger on the small of her back as they continued on their way; enjoyed the gentle pressure against her until she felt the way his fingers looped and caught her by the hooks of her jeans stilling her movements, as he raised a finger to his lips, his expression suddenly serious.

It took her a second for her to realise what had spooked him; voices. Men's voices that they didn't recognise, out on the shop floor, volume increasing as they drew closer to the pharmacy.

Daryl grabbed her by the arm, hauling her quickly and quietly backwards, deeper into the room. His eyes glanced around, agitatedly, until they landed on the door of a storage closet close by. Daryl quickly pulled her over to it, swinging the door open as quietly as he could, and urged her into it, following close on her heels and pulling the door shut quietly behind them, just as the voices became louder and clearer as the men stepped into the pharmacy.

They listened to their voices, not really able to make out what they were saying, as they tried to remain as still as possible in the tiny closet that Daryl had pulled them into.

Beth glanced around her, taking note of the various items lining the shelves, the dustpan and brush, the bubble wrap, the various paper bags and then the buckets and brooms and mops that were balanced against one another in the corner behind her. Beth swallowed, willing herself to remain as still as possible, lest she knock any of the items over and give them away.

The voices on the other side of the door increased and decreased in volume as they moved around the room, without any of the discretion that she and Daryl had moved around in it before them.

Beth felt herself holding her breath as the voices drew closer, took note of the fact that Daryl had withdrawn his knife and now held it tightly in his hand, as he focused intently on the door, ready in case anyone were to open it.

They stayed like that for several minutes. Huddled together in the tiny closet, barely any space between them.

Beth raised her eyes to Daryl's, noticed the way they still focused on the door, even when the voices faded to nothing once the men had finished their raid and left the room. She could feel his breath stirring the hair on her forehead, the two were so close. Close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from the exposed skin of his neck on her face.

Beth raised her eyes back to his, the adrenaline from the fear of being discovered making the blood pump faster through her veins. Or maybe now it was due to their proximity; now that the threat seemed to be gone and her heart still pounded and her stomach still fluttered. She swallowed, as she kept her eyes on him, and then his eyes flicked from the door to hers.

Daryl held her gaze.

The atmosphere in the tiny space was charged; adrenaline, fear and yearning all warring with one another.

She drew in a shaky breath, as they stood there. The voices were long gone now. The threat had left them. They were safe. But still, she felt like they were on the brink of something, something not quite dangerous but not quite safe either.

Beth bit her lip, allowing her eyes to slip; down from his eyes to his lips. It was the same gesture she had made time and time again; the same one that always sent him running.

And it didn't fail now.

Daryl cleared his throat, averting his eyes when she raised hers, and began to reach for the handle of the door.

But enough was enough.

She couldn't keep doing this.

She couldn't keep playing this game; doing this dance with him. It was now. Now or never. And she stilled him with a firm grip on the lapel of his jacket, tugging him so that he faced her.

Daryl met her eyes sharply.

The startled look in his eyes almost rendered her immobile; almost made her lose her nerve. But she wouldn't let it. Now or never. And she tugged him closer, as she titled her feet so she pushed herself upwards, and pressed her lips against his.

Daryl went very still against her, tensing as their lips met.

Beth could feel herself losing her nerve but she pushed any doubts to the back of her mind, gently moving her lips against his, as she reached up her other hand to touch his cheek. It was short, sweet; she didn't know how to do it any other way. And she slowly drew back, her eyes drifting open and meeting his when she did.

Daryl was looking at her carefully; a slight furrow on his brow as he seemed to consider what she had done. Beth bit her lip, nervously, when he made no response. And she was just beginning to curse herself for the stupidity of her actions when something changed in his expression; something almost imperceptible.

The sound of his knife clattering to the ground filled the small space.

And then he stepped closer, closer than they had been before, and his lips were on hers. His hands reached up, fingers against the sides of her neck, barely touching her. It was tentative, gentle at first; but it quickly built up when she tightened her grip on his jacket and pushed herself closer to him.

For all of Daryl's awkwardness in his behaviour towards her, there was no uncertainty in the way that he kissed her.

His lips were hungry against hers and she could feel all the frustration he had been holding back escape him, as he lost himself; he bit down on her bottom lip, before his mouth claimed her as his own, desperate and thorough, as he deepened the kiss. She felt his hands on the side of her face, felt one of them slide back, burying itself in the hair at the back of her head, mussing up the ponytail as his hand fisted and pulled her tightly against him.

It was new and exhilarating and she tentatively reciprocated, hearing a soft growl in the back of his throat when she did.

Daryl didn't hold back. Everything he felt for her suddenly becoming clear as their lips slanted and opened for one another; the feel of his soft lips moving insistently against hers, the feel of his hands gripping her and his body pressed tightly against her left her heady. And she felt herself quickly becoming breathless as the kiss intensified; reaching up to grip his shoulders to keep herself steady as her knees weakened and she felt her toes curl in her boots.

Daryl bumped up against her, wanting to be closer, and she moaned against his lips as she stumbled back a step, a fleeting embarrassment washing over her at the wanton abandon, before the sound of items knocking and falling against one another and to the floor invaded her mind. Daryl kept going, seemingly oblivious to anything but her.

And then she felt his hands drop from her face, down to her shoulders, gripping tightly, and then he pulled her roughly from him.

The two of them stood there, breathing ragged, as they just looked at one another. Daryl's eyes were heated, black bled out into blue, as he looked at her; looked through a haze of passion with an expression of confusion and uncertainty, completely at odds with the way he had just kissed her.

After a second he closed his eyes, taking a couple of breaths before he shook his head, making to speak, but before he could there was a bang against the door of the closest and Daryl quickly released her, just as it was flung open.

Rick stood there, gun drawn and half-raised; "Daryl?"

The three of them stood there was moment, as they took in one another's unexpected appearance. After a while, Daryl cleared his throat, while Beth stood there dumbly, still trying to make sense of what had just happened.

"What are the two of ya doing in the closet?" Rick asked, with a bewildered frown, as he lowered his weapon.

Daryl snatched his knife up from the ground and walked out, stepping by Rick and casting a sideward glance at him as he did, his tone more clipped than usual when he answered; "Heard some sons of bitches comin'." He glanced around the room as Glenn appeared, two boxes of condoms clutched in his hands, looking interested in whatever was going on, before Daryl turned back to Rick; "What did y' think we were doin'?"

And then he walked away, leaving a confused Rick in his wake.

Beth cleared her throat and stepped out of the closest, brushing down her clothes as she did and hoisting up the backpack on her back, unnecessarily, as she tried to compose herself. Rick eyed her strangely for a second and Beth frowned at him; "What is it?"

Rick pursed his lips together and shook his head; "Nothin'." And then he followed the path Daryl had taken without another word, though Beth thought she could see his lips twitch and a spark of amusement in his eyes as he turned away.

Glenn stood there, a smile playing on his lips, as Beth pushed the door to the closet closed and walked up to him with a confused frown; "What's so funny?"

Glenn's smile widened to a grin; "You might wanna fix your hair."

Beth's hand flew up to her head, feeling the mussed up ponytail which hung lower and messily against the back of her head, and the strands that had now escaped it and framed her face. She felt herself blush scarlet for the second time that day, as Glenn fought back his own chuckles and reached out, gently nudging her in the direction the others had just gone, while she quickly undid and re-did the ponytail that had given them away.


	16. Day Twenty

Daryl had spent the past two days alternating between ignoring her, avoiding her and offering stunted, mumbled responses to anything she said before running off with some excuse or other.

To put it frankly, he'd spent the past forty-eight hours behaving like a first-rate douchebag; and it was something Beth was now beginning to anticipate of him whenever he found himself in a situation he wasn't comfortable with. All this over a kiss. And a pretty damn good one, if Beth thought so herself.

However, Beth's giddiness over the incident, her own happiness over what had transpired in that closet, was dampened dramatically by Daryl's reaction. While she had started off dazed, giddy and a little embarrassed by the whole thing, it had progressed on to a proud satisfaction over what had happened and how she had finally faced up to what she, and he, were feeling and done something about it. The pride was short lived, however, when they had quickly wrapped up their scavenging and Daryl had made a beeline for the driver's seat of the car; telling everyone without a word that he'd be driving them back to the Church.

That was only the start of the ensuing awkwardness. When he brushed her off again, in similar fashion to the way he did following his conversation with Glenn, after she asked him if there were any other stores nearby they could have a look in, that awkward tension and the first sting of rejection had hit her quickly; effectively ending any happiness she had felt over what had just happened between them.

It quickly became apparent that the incident wasn't going to be the start of something good; instead, the game was still in play. And frustration, along with her disappointment and hurt had once again warred with one another to be the more dominant emotion.

Glenn, while he had started out teasing and amused, had also picked up on the sudden awkward tension between them when all four of them were in the car; and Beth wasn't sure if she should feel pleased by the demonstration of loyalty or uneasy when she caught the daggers Glenn had glared at the back of Daryl's head from where he sat in the backseat beside her.

Beth adjusted Judith on her lap, where she sat on the steps of the porch just outside the Church, before she allowed the wiggling toddler to stand on the pavement at her feet and toddle over towards the grass. Beth drew her knees up closer to her chest, and leaned her chin on the top of her knees as her eyes unconsciously slipped from the walking toddler to a short distance away where Daryl was working.

He had spent most of the previous day there, after returning from a solo run he had gone on, returning with several planks of unevenly cut wood; which he had spent the remainder of the day and the beginning of this one cutting down to equal lengths, sanding and sawing.

Beth had caught him glance at her several times out the corner of his eye, caught him quickly glancing away whenever she looked in his direction, while he carried on working, pretending he hadn't noticed her sitting there.

"Beth?"

She lifted her head, turning it to look at the person who had addressed her, smiling when Maggie stepped down onto the step next to her; "Hi."

"Hey," Maggie returned her smile, though it appeared to be laced with concern, as she took a seat next to her.

The two of them sat there quietly for a few minutes, Beth pretending not to notice the concerned expression with which her sister was regarding her, as she urged Judith to stay close. The toddler leaned down to pick some weeds that were growing up out of the grass. Beth knew Maggie was concerned; she knew, after seeing Glenn's reaction to Daryl's words to her in the car, that it wouldn't be long before her sister heard about what had transpired between them on the run. Glenn hadn't seen anything, not the moment itself, but he had made it clear in the initial moments of discovery that he knew what they'd be up to.

"He said anything?" Maggie finally said, after a moment.

Beth glanced at her; noticed the way her sister's eyes were focused on Daryl as he worked.

Beth swallowed and shook her head; "Nope."

"Hmm."

Beth was quiet for a second; "What d'you think he'd say?"

"An apology would be a good start."

Beth shot her a warning look; "You don't even know what happened."

"I know enough. Glenn told me what he saw. Doesn't take a genius to figure it out."

Beth bit her lip, looking down, taking a sudden interest in a rock that was lying on the step next to her.

"You don't wanna tell me?"

Beth met her eyes and shrugged; "Was just a kiss, Maggie."

Maggie nodded, slowly; "Yeah. Well, I've seen the way you've been going about. Seen how upset you've been –"

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Don't pretend with me, I've known you you're whole life. I know when you're hurting."

Beth pursed her lips together, feeling herself growing irritated, because she knew she didn't want to hear anything more of what her sister had to say about the situation. She knew that sister-mode was kicking in and that anything further wasn't going to be pleasant to hear; and, really, her sister didn't know anything about her relationship with Daryl. She didn't know how they had connected, how they understood one another, or how he made her feel.

She hadn't ever told her. She hadn't told her anything.

"Maggie, I'm fine, okay? I don't need you gettin' all protective all of a sudden," Beth began, wanting to end the conversation before it began; "'sides, you didn't seem to have a problem with me and Daryl that long ago. You've been teasing me about it for weeks."

"That was before I saw all of this."

"All of what?"

"How it's hurtin' you."

"I'm not hurting, Maggie," Beth snapped, her patience wearing thin; "We've just got some stuff to work out, that's all."

Maggie regarded her, dubiously, casting another glance Daryl's way and Beth noticed the latent hostility inherent in the look she was giving him and suddenly felt uncomfortable and quickly became aware of the stakes here. It wasn't just she and Daryl who were on the brink of a shift in this situation; the group was too. If things started getting ugly, they would all suffer for it.

Beth felt nervous at the thought, the realisation of how much of an impact a relationship with Daryl would have on the family they had built; how a relationship between them would so quickly become something; something big. And she wondered if that was why Daryl seemed so spooked, if that was part of why he was pulling away so much.

She needed to stop any drama before it started; needed to nip this developing anger of Maggie's in the bud; "It's Daryl. You know him. He wouldn't hurt me."

Maggie turned her attention from Daryl to her once again, looking at her carefully for a few seconds before her eyes softened. She shook her head; "Beth, we all love Daryl. But I've seen how things have been with the two of ya. I've seen how he's been treating ya. And I gotta say; I haven't been all that impressed so far."

"You make it sound like he's just some asshole out to hurt me."

Maggie sighed again; "No, I'm not. You know I don't think that." She reached out, grasping Beth by the arm when she made to stand up, to walk away and go to Judith, keeping her seated; "Beth, I'm not saying he's one of those guys; those guys that Daddy's been warning us about our whole lives. I know he's a good man; we all do. I know he doesn't wanna hurt ya."

Beth met her eyes, hesitantly.

"But, honey, he is. He's hurting you and he doesn't even mean to."

Beth held her look for a moment, not wanting to hear anymore, wanting her sister to just shut up. She didn't get it.

"I think Daryl knows that. I think that's why he's doing this. I'm not saying he doesn't care about you, that he doesn't want what you want. I just think he's trying to protect you; he doing this because he doesn't wanna hurt you more later on."

Beth was quiet for a moment, lowering her eyes as she considered her sister's words. She bit her lip, feeling a sinking in her stomach, as she lifted her gaze from the ground over to where Daryl stood, still working away, still pretending he hadn't noticed her sitting her. She swallowed; "So, what are you saying, Maggie?" She looked back at her; "You don't approve?"

Maggie sighed, shaking her head; "I'm not saying that at all, okay? If this is what you want, if you go for it, then I'm with ya. I'll support you." Beth felt a relief wash over her at her sister's words, before Maggie went on; "But, Beth, I just want you to be sure; this isn't like it was with Jimmy or Zach. Daryl, he's not like them, he's not a boy, and I think he's…complicated. I just…I want you to really know what you're getting yourself into."

Beth bit her lip as she considered Maggie's words; as what her sister was saying to her really sunk in. And she realised she was right, not that Beth should turn away from it, not that he was wrong for her; but that it was complicated. And that's why it was so frightening; that's why she was so confused and why she felt as if she were in way over her head.

Daryl wasn't like the other boys she had been with; he was a man and he had baggage. Maggie didn't know what it was but Beth did. She knew all about his demons; she knew how he felt about the world, how he felt about himself. She knew he would rather pull away when he was afraid, like Maggie was asking her to do now; she knew he would rather hide from what he was feeling than face up to it.

And she knew he felt what she felt; she had known it from the moment he kissed her, letting her see for the first time exactly what it was he was holding back. How much he wanted it; how much he wanted her.

She knew why he was doing this; she knew that he was scared. She was too. The only difference was, she wouldn't run from this.

And she knew they would both wind up hurting one another, sometimes, without meaning to; sometimes things would be hard, sometimes they would slip and stumble and mess up. But she'd said it once before, almost a lifetime ago; hurt was part of the package. And she wanted it; the package, the whole package, and Daryl already gave it to her.

She knew that every moment, every second of happiness he gave her, would be worth any hurt she might have to face to get it. Because this was real and that was life. Fear, happiness, pain, love.

Beth lifted her eyes from the ground, allowing them to drift back over in Daryl's direction. She felt a calm resolution overcome her, as she finally sorted everything out. Finally realised exactly what she wanted; exactly how she felt and what she was willing to do and face to have it.

She wanted Daryl Dixon.

And all the crap that came with that. Because she knew he was all that she needed; and she knew that nothing and no one would ever make her feel more alive than she did when she was with him.

She smiled to herself, as she glanced down, before she turned her attention back to her sister. She smiled at her, no longer confused, or irritated, or upset; "Maggie, I don't wanna hide or run because I might get hurt. I'm not gonna live like that. Some things, some people, they're worth it; they're worth the hurt. And Daryl, me and him; I know that everything we've got," Beth looked over at him; "I know it's gonna be worth it." She lowered her eyes, before looking back at her sister, and she smiled, before speaking with a certainty she finally felt, finally sure about everything; "I am sure, Maggie. I've never been more sure about anything."

Maggie sat there a moment, holding her gaze, as she considered her words. After a while, she smiled, her concern seeming to ease away as she understood what her sister was saying. Then she gave a small laugh, before rolling her eyes; "God. When did you grow up?"

Beth's lips twitched and she shrugged.

Then Maggie laughed again and pulled her into a tight hug, pressing her lips to her cheek; "You're incredible, you know. No wonder he's totally in love with you."

"Maggie." Beth blushed, pushing her sister off of her with a shy smile.

Maggie grinned and shrugged, before reaching over and pinching her cheek, affectionately; "Go get your man."

xxx

Beth Greene never ceased to amaze him.

Only, this time, he wasn't sure if that's something he ought to be glad about. Of all the ways he had expected things to go, of all the scenarios he had played out in his mind; he had never expected that she would be the one to make a move.

Her lips against his had been so unexpected, so unimaginable that her actions had almost knocked him off of his feet. Almost.

Rather than his feet, it seemed that he had been knocked out of his senses; and he couldn't help himself, the feel of her lips against his was intoxicating. The explorative innocent of their movements so endearing and the taste and scent of her stirred a yearning in him so strong that he couldn't deny it any longer; he couldn't hold back.

And, now, they were suffering for it. For his weakness and for her boldness.

He hadn't wanted to shut her out; he hadn't wanted to turn his back, to jeopardise the relationship they already had; but he couldn't see any other way other than to pull back. They needed distance; they needed space. He couldn't think clearly when he was around her and, now, it seemed he couldn't control himself either.

And that she now felt comfortable enough to up the stakes, to pull crazy stunts like the one she had just done; that didn't help them either.

The kiss haunted him; everything that had stirred within him when their lips had moved together, when she had moaned into his mouth, it all remained with him. The reality of it, of being with Beth, so vivid in his mind; the longing he felt for it making his stomach churn and clench.

He had to remind himself; he couldn't have this. He couldn't want this.

He didn't know much about relationships; hell, that kiss had been the first time he'd kissed a woman in years, since well before the turn. And, even then, it hadn't been anything like that. He didn't really understand how he was feeling, why this longing was so strong; he didn't know how he ought to handle the situation, if there was a way he could salvage what they had before.

All he knew, all he was certain of, was that he was no good for her.

He couldn't give her what she wanted; what she needed. He had no idea what that even was. He had seen Rick with Lori, Glenn with Maggie, Tyreese with Carol. He had seen how they had managed to give them something, something that Daryl couldn't even begin to comprehend. How they could be open with them; how they could just be.

Daryl couldn't do that; there were some things he couldn't say, things he didn't understand and things she shouldn't have to know. She shouldn't have to deal with his demons, she shouldn't have to shoulder that weight.

Beth was everything that was still good and pure and right about this world; one of the only things. And all he could bring, all her could offer her was the bad, the dark, the ugly.

He couldn't do that. He couldn't bring her down; he'd thought it once before and he held strong to that belief now; he would never allow himself to be the one to shut her down. To break her hope and faith in the world; and that was all that getting closer to him would do.

He would ruin her.

"Hey."

Daryl looked up sharply, Beth's appearance so sudden, taking him off guard due to being so lost in his thoughts. He swallowed, his eyes going to the Church steps where he knew she had been sitting for some time previously; where Maggie was now walking up, heading back inside, Judith in her arms.

He had pretended not to have noticed her; focusing entirely on the task he had assigned to himself.

Daryl glanced back at Beth, noticed the nervous way with which she was regarding him; as if she wasn't sure what to expect. He cleared his throat and nodded at her, shuffling awkwardly where he stood, before he hoisted up one of the planks he was working on, sanding down the end that he had just sawn off.

"What are you doing?"

He carried on working, not looking up; "Porch ain't all that great for keepin' watch. Thinkin' we'd be better off with a perch or somethin'." He looked up, not at her but past her, pointing briefly at the lone tree that was situation in the field not too far from the house; "Gonna set it up in that tree over there."

Beth bit her lip and then nodded; "Oh."

The two of them stood in awkward silence for a while; Beth clearly not willing to go anywhere and Daryl clearly not willing to talk.

He carried on with what he was doing, trying to avoid eye contact with her; deciding it was best not to look at her at all, to lessen the chance of it happening. A decision which proved foolish when she managed to walk up beside him without him noticing until she was within a foot of him. He felt himself get suddenly nervous, her proximity unnerving him, and his hands slipped awkwardly over the wood he was holding, almost dropping it when he noticed her.

Beth tilted her head, so that her face leaned in slightly; and he reflexively leaned back when she raised an eyebrow at him; "Don't you think we should talk about it?"

Daryl considered saying 'what', playing dumb; but he figured being deliberately obtuse would irritate her and he didn't want her getting wound up. He didn't want her anger to drive her to any further boldness that she had already exhibited. Instead, he raised his eyes uncertainly to hers, and stepped around her; "Ain't nothin' to talk about."

"We kissed."

When had they reached this level of familiarity; when had she suddenly felt bold enough to call him out this way. She was bolder, stronger; nothing at all like the girl he had thought he'd known back at the prison, not the quiet, shy girl he had thought of her as.

"That's something to talk about, right?"

Daryl swallowed, before reluctantly raising his eyes to her again, meeting her gaze guardedly. After a second, he shook his head; "Y' shouldn't have done that, Beth."

And then he saw it; that flash in her eyes, that fire he really didn't want to ignite and he had to fight to stop himself from turning away.

"You were right there with me. You kissed me, too."

Daryl stepped away, her proximity unsettling him, as he shuffled awkwardly; "Yeah, well. I'm sorry 'bout that."

"I'm not."

He sighed, shaking his head; "Beth."

"What? I'm not," Beth spoke with such conviction, such self-assuredness that he couldn't help the admiration he felt for her gripping him.

"Can't mean anythin'."

"What do you mean?"

"Just that."

Beth's eyes narrowed and she stepped closer to him; "It does mean something."

"Nah," Daryl shook his head, looking away from her.

Beth moved her head, catching his eyes; "It does. You know that it does."

Daryl held her gaze for a second, knowing that what she was saying was true; that it did mean something. That it meant everything, but he couldn't say that. He couldn't give in.

Beth reached out, her hand gripping his arm; "Daryl."

He flinched, abruptly pulling his arm from her touch, and walked by her, reaching down and moving around the planks of wood that were piled up behind her, unnecessarily, just shuffling them so that he was no longer standing still. Just so she couldn't touch him again.

"Why are you being like this?"

Daryl hesitated in his movements, the quiet hurt in her tone hitting him hard, and he reluctantly turned his head, looking at her sideward and seeing the wounded look in her eyes. The sight of her pain, the hurt in her voice made his stomach drop and he felt it churn sickeningly as he realised what he was doing to her; how he was hurting her.

He sighed and straightened up, finally turning to look at her properly.

Beth looked back at him with an expression so open, so vulnerable and trusting that he suddenly hated himself for doing this to her; for allowing their relationship to develop this way, for allowing her to get too close.

He swallowed, realising he had to be straight with her; he couldn't just ignore this, she had to know; "Just don't think it's a good idea, 's all."

She bit her lip; "Why not?"

"'cause I can't give ya what y' want."

"How do you know what I want?"

Daryl swallowed, seeing the challenge reflected in her eyes; "Just do."

Beth's expression crumbled slightly and his words didn't ignite the fire he was worried about; no, they did something worse. And he saw the hurt and the hopefulness in them, instead, and when she spoke, her voice was filled with such vulnerability that his own self-loathing increased tenfold; "I just want you."

Daryl looked away from her, unable to look at her, at that openness in her expression any longer, shifting and lowering his eyes. Then he sighed and looked back at her, shaking his head; "Ain't no good for ya, Beth."

And then that fire was back, and he was suddenly thankful; because her anger was more bearable than her pain; "That's bullshit."

Daryl averted his eyes, not responding to the remark, because she didn't get it. She didn't get why he was so wrong because she didn't think the way he did; she didn't know how dark it was inside, how things really were and just how wrong he was for her.

Him looking away seemed to rile her further and then there she was, right in his face, just like she had been weeks before, when she was calling him out back at that shack; "No good for me?" She repeated, before adding unwaveringly; "You are. You already have been." She shook her head; "I'm never gonna feel this way with anyone else."

Daryl felt his lip tug in a humourless smile and he shook his head, because it wasn't true; "Y' don't know that."

"I know I haven't got long here," Beth went on, assertively, with a statement so appalling that he met her eyes sharply; "I could go tonight, tomorrow, the day after and that's okay, I know that." She shook her head, her resolution alone enough to hold his gaze; "But I'm not gonna waste time. I'm not gonna pretend what we've got isn't real just because you're afraid."

Daryl exhaled, finally looking away from her, and could feel her eyes on him, watching him carefully as he tried to keep himself composed. Tried to figure out how to respond to her assertion, but he didn't have to because she went on, adding something further.

"I see the way you've been looking at me," her voice was quiet, but still sure; "The way you kissed me. This isn't all me."

Daryl met her eyes, hesitantly, unable to deny her claims because she was right and he knew that it was obvious. That she knew that he wanted her; that the whole damn group knew it.

So he just shook his head; "Don't matter. Don't change nothin'."

"I think it does," she said, as he held her gaze, not looking away, her determination mesmerising; "I think we could be something." She shook her head; "We already are."

Daryl swallowed as he took her in, took in everything she was saying, everything she was offering. But he couldn't; he couldn't do it. Everything he felt, everything he wanted didn't matter, not in light of everything he knew about himself and all that he knew about her. She deserved more; more than anything he could ever give her.

Yes, he was hurting her now. But he'd hurt her more if he let this go on; if he let her believe in this something she wanted them to be.

He swallowed, finding his own resolve within himself and shook his head; "I don't."

The two words alone had the impact they needed; he saw the hope in her eyes dim with them, the disappointment return but he knew it was for the best. And when she opened her mouth to speak, to protest, he had to shut her down; had to stop this now.

"I don't want ya, Beth."

Beth could only stare at him for a moment, her mouth still open as if she were about to speak. And then it was there, the pain, the hurt in her eyes and it cut him somewhere deep inside to see it but he couldn't look away. He couldn't let her think he didn't mean what he was saying.

He caught the way her bottom lip trembled slightly, before she pursed her lips together. Her eyes scanned his face for a second, searchingly, as if hoping she might find a clue that he didn't mean it, that it wasn't true. And then she drew in a shaking breath, and he caught the way her eyes glistened and his self-loathing increased to the point that it made him feel sick.

And then she turned and walked away from him. And he heard her draw in another shaky breath as she moved. Heard a quiet sniff.

He squeezed his eyes shut, telling himself that this was necessary, that he had no choice.

He took a backwards step, shuffling slightly, before he stepped back and drove his boot into the pile of wood that was piled up beside him, sending them clattering to the ground.

All the while, trying to convince himself that what he had done was right. No matter how wrong it all felt.


	17. Day Twenty-Three

New Year came and went and Beth Greene entered it furious.

The hurt, the upset she had felt over what had happened between she and Daryl had stayed with her for most of that day; had cut her somewhere deep inside, even if she knew that everything he was saying to her was bullshit. Even if she knew he was just pushing her away; the hurt was still real.

It didn't take long, though, for that hurt to morph into anger. Anger that he hadn't listened to what she was saying; that he didn't trust her judgement to decide for herself if he was good enough. She didn't need him to protect her; she didn't need him to hide from her, to try and keep her from making her own choices about what was right for her.

She knew what they had was worth it; that what they were now, and what they could be, was something worth fighting for. And it infuriated her that he wasn't even willing to try.

It wasn't enough that she wanted to fight for it; if he wasn't willing to, if he didn't believe in them, then it would ultimately fail anyway.

Beth wanted to take the chance.

But there was no way in hell that she was going to beg him for it.

So, she had put it away. She wasn't going to pretend it wasn't there. But she wasn't going to chase it either; she wasn't going to be the one fighting; not until he figured it out, not until he was with her on this.

So, instead, she had thrown herself into the preparations for their new year's dinner, which wasn't very substantial compared to Christmas and alcohol wasn't available this time; partially because a certain group of people had consumed it all the week before, and partially because said group of people had taken to singing in the fields in a drunken haze, leading to the activity being deemed too risky.

And, when that was done, she had taken Judith while Rick worked the fences.

And, when he came to take her back, she played checkers with Carl in the office.

And then prepared dinner; washed clothes; gathered water from the well; anything so she didn't have to stop and think about Daryl Dixon; Jackass Extraordinaire.

Her sister had become a thorn in her side, as well. Throughout all of her avoidance of thinking about Daryl, she had also spent most of that time avoiding her sister and her incessant questioning as to what was going on. She really wished she hadn't confided in Maggie before she had confronted Daryl; the last thing she wanted to hear was a big fat I-told-you-so to really rub salt into the wound. She felt foolish enough as it is.

It was three days before she found herself in his company again, when she was in the kitchen first thing in the morning, fixing up something for Judith to eat for breakfast.

She heard the sound of footsteps faltering and stopping just inside the doorway, unconsciously turning to greet the person who had come into the room, and was met with the sight of Daryl standing awkwardly a few feet away. She had held his look for a second, before lowering her eyes and returning to mashing up the food in the bowl. She figured he would turn and walk away; run off and hide from her like he had spent the past couple of days doing. So, it had taken her off guard when she had felt him step in beside her, clearing his throat, uncomfortably.

She bit her lip, tilting her head slightly to look up at him, regarding him coolly.

The indifference in her expression appeared to unnerve him and he looked at her hesitantly, before he lowered his eyes and mumbled; "Goin' out on a run." He uncertainly raised his eyes back to hers; "Y' need anythin'?"

Beth held his look for a moment, saying nothing, that same coldness in her expression, before she shook her head, slightly; "No."

Daryl stood there, his eyes carefully, yet awkwardly, regarding her and she got the impression he wanted to say more, that he was struggling with something. And then he lowered his eyes and nodded. He looked back at her, opened his mouth to say something, and then hesitated again, before he pursed his lips together and stepped back, turning and walking away

Beth watched him go, a simmering disappointment taking hold of her, and she rolled her eyes, shaking her head, before turning back to the task at hand.

xxx

Daryl stared out of the window of the car as Rick drove them down the deserted road.

He hadn't spoken to Beth, really spoken to her, in three days. It was the longest yet since the two of them had been reunited and he was trying to tell himself that that was for the best. That he should just let her go.

Their confrontation from days before still haunted him; he still thought about it, even now that it seemed the issue was done and dealt with. The damage done; the whole thing ended before it had even started.

It was too much for him; Beth Greene was too much for him.

While before, the uncertainty of how to deal with how he was feeling about her, how to try and respond to them had made him uneasy, the meaning behind them so unfamiliar to him, so difficult for him to understand; Beth's words to him that day had completely driven home to him the reason why he could never be right for her.

Her unwavering faith in him, in them, had frightened him; her belief in what they could be so strong that it was all he could do to keep from running there and then.

But that was what he admired most about her; her unwavering faith. That was who she was; it was everything that made her distinctive from everyone else. It was that part of her that amazed him so much.

But to have that faith directed towards him was more than he could deal with and it wasn't something he had ever expected. Of all the people her had ever known, Beth was the first person who really knew him. She was the only person who knew who he was, who he had been and what he felt about himself and the world; and she should know better than to hold him to those standards. She should know he could never measure up to what she expected of them. This amazing thing she believed they could be.

And that was the two of them all over; she always believed the best and he always believed the worst. He knew next to nothing about relationships, but he guessed that two such polar opposite viewpoints didn't a satisfying connection make.

And yet, she deserved it. She deserved everything she hoped they could be. But he, with all of his demons and all of the baggage that he brought to the table, could never be the one to give that to her.

There was too much against them and it shouldn't have to be that hard; she shouldn't have to fight for something that wouldn't live up when all was said and done.

Rick pulled the car to a halt outside the school they intended on scavenging from; Glenn jumped out of the car immediately upon stopping, Abraham close behind.

"Hey."

Daryl was stopped from exiting the vehicle by Rick's voice. He glanced at him over his shoulder, taking note of the concern in Rick's gaze as he looked at him, albeit a little awkwardly, as the other man cleared his throat.

"Listen, I know it's probably not somethin' you wanna talk about. But a lot of folk been noticin' it."

Daryl hesitated, his eyes flicking from Rick to Glenn after a moment, who was approaching the building with Abraham. There was tension there now, with Glenn. And with Maggie. Neither of the two of them had come out and said anything; neither had confronted him over what had happened with Beth. But he figured they knew, from the cool reserve with which they had been regarding him the past few days.

Daryl was hesitant; he didn't really want to talk about it. He didn't really want to discuss the issue. It was done. It was over. So why even bother hashing it out any further. But the more he considered it, the more he thought about it, the situation he had found himself in with her; the complicatedness of everything now that they had gotten into this mess made him think that maybe he did. Maybe he had to.

He kept his hand on the door handle that he had reached for, but lowered his eyes, shrugging; "She thinks I'm wastin' time."

Rick appeared surprised for a second, surprised that Daryl had even responded. But he pushed it aside; "We're all on borrowed time, man. Just gotta decide how we wanna spend it."

Daryl shook his head slightly; the statement clear. That he shouldn't be spending time denying it, holding back.

"Don't think she gets it; I ain't cut out for this shit."

Rick looked out the window, away from him, not at him when he answered; "I think she gets it; she just doesn't care. Thinks it's worth it."

"It ain't."

"Could be," Rick countered, turning to look at him; "Usually is."

The two of them sat in silence for a minute, Daryl uncertain of how to respond and Rick seeming to be willing to just let the statement lie. Let it speak for itself. But when Daryl said nothing in response, Rick went on, quietly, almost uncomfortably as he turned his attention to something beyond their immediate surroundings, outside the window of the car.

"Someone gives you something, something like that, something real, that's something you can't hide from. It's always gonna be there and y' don't wanna be the guy who realises too late that time's gone by and y' spent it bein' scared or mad about somethin' that don't mean shit in the end." Rick didn't look at him as he spoke, but Daryl could tell from his tone alone that what he was saying came from more than just his own circumstances with Beth; that what he was saying was coming from someplace deep inside; "My wife died without knowin'." His voice was quiet this time, laced with unresolved regret; "Y' don't wanna be that guy."

The two of them were quiet, Rick's words deep and their exchange still unusual, slightly uncomfortable, despite the closeness they had developed since the fall of the prison. Daryl swallowed, glancing over at him; "She knew, man."

Rick met his eyes, held his look for a second, his eyes conveying doubt and he shook his head slightly; "Won't ever really know."

The words hung over them heavy for a second, before Rick cleared his throat and turned, flinging open the door to the car and stepping out, heading up the walkway to where Glenn and Abraham waited; Daryl following suit only a second later.

Their explorations of the building took less than an hour, each of them all aware of what they were looking for and where they would find them; walkers scattered the building but the numbers weren't substantial enough to cause them much concern. They figured that most of them had left the buildings now and joined the various numbers of herds that roamed the streets, the roads and the countryside. And it wasn't until they reached the final leg of the run, when the four of them were returning to the lot to head back to the Church, that they ran into trouble.

None of them had realised the threat until it was upon them; in the form of three armed men who had managed to sneak up on them when their guard had dropped, each of them satisfied by the supplies they had gathered; another successful run.

"Hold up."

The four of them froze at the sound of the stranger's voice and the sight of three guns raised and directed at them.

Rick stepped forward slightly, so he stood in front of the rest of them, his own gun held tightly in his hand, while he raised the other in an attempt to placate them; "Easy. We were just leavin'."

"Not with that lot you ain't." One of the men indicated at the food supplies that Glenn and Abraham had stored in boxes, carried in their arms, rendering the two of them useless and unable to quickly arm themselves.

Rick glanced back at the boxes the man had indicated, before turning back, shaking his head and stepping forward with determination; "Sorry, it's –" He broke off when one of the guns was shoved closer into his face, and Daryl's hand unconsciously went to his knife, drawing the attention of one of the other gun men.

"Okay," Glenn spoke up, raising one of the hands that held the box, and he stepped forward slightly, lowering the box to the ground; "Okay, it's yours."

Abraham was more hesitant in handing over his own box, each of them knowing that they'd completely cleaned out the cafeteria and that there was nothing more to be found in the building; and food was starting to run low once again. But the direness of the situation won out and Abraham lowered his own box to the ground, using his foot to roughly drive his heel into and send the box sliding over to the awaiting hostiles; one of the men catching and stopping it with the heel of his own boot.

Daryl and Rick shrugged out of their own packs, when one of the men indicated at them with the gun he was holding, and they tossed them to the ground, one of top of the other, in front of them.

An uneasy silence settled over the two groups as they stood there, the goods ready to be taken and the guns still raised and pointed. After a second, one of the men jerked his gun at the four of them; "You lot get headin'."

The exchanged brief glances with one another, before they took backwards steps away from the three men; guns still raised and pointed at them as they did. Though the message silently exchanged between them was clear; they weren't walking away from this. They couldn't turn their backs, the second they did shots would be fired, and they couldn't head back to the Church without those supplies. So they backed away, and Daryl quickly made himself aware of where his weapons were located; only the knife and crossbow, and could sense Abraham's arm move next to him, lingering a hair breadth away from his own gun, as each of them waited for an opening.

It came when one of the three men lowered his weapon slightly, attention turning from the four of them to the supplies they had just deposited on the ground, and Abraham reacted first; drawing his gun less than a second before Rick pulled the trigger of his own and the sounds of bullets being fired were suddenly echoing down the hallway.

The shootout lasted only a few seconds; the three men falling quickly, their own group too fast.

But not fast enough.

When Daryl turned his attention from the three men who now lay dead amongst the supplies they had gathered, turned around to address his own group, he caught sight of Rick; the other man's hand coming up to his shoulder, pressing for a second, before drawing back; crimson liquid shining in the light of the hallway.

Daryl felt his stomach drop, just as Rick stumbled slightly, falling to his knees, as Glenn's anxious voice yelled out:

"Rick!"

xxx

"How's he doin'?" Daryl looked up from where he was sitting in the corner of the office as Carol walked in.

She nodded at him, wiping blood from her hands with a bandana; "He'll be alright. The bullet went through. Bob's stitching him up now."

Daryl swallowed, lowering his eyes, nodding slightly; the relief hitting him immediately. She said nothing more at first, as he considered what had just happened, how quickly everything had went wrong; how bad things could have been.

"Are you okay?" Carol asked after a moment, making him raise his eyes to hers.

Daryl nodded after a second; "Mhm."

Carol regarded him sceptically for a second, but before she could say anything further, the sound of quickly paced footsteps shuffling to a halt outside the room drew their attention to the doorway. Beth stood just outside the entrance, regarding the two of them with undisguised concern.

Daryl met her eyes from across the room; noted the way her eyes quickly moved over him, taking in the sight of the blood on his face and clothing, from when he had dragged Rick back to the car and then, after, into the Church. Could see the apprehension in her expression as her eyes took in his appearance, as she checked for any visible injuries that he may have suffered.

Daryl bit his lip, before giving her a slight nod. Beth's expression relaxed somewhat, as the gesture seemed to reassure her that he was fine; that there was no reason to worry. And then she lowered her eyes and, rather than stepping into the room, she turned away and headed back in the direction she had just come from.

"She likes you, that one."

Daryl raised his eyes from where they still rested on the doorway, up to Carol's slightly teasing expression. She raised an eyebrow and gave him a slight smile.

Daryl swallowed and shrugged, looking down and reaching into his back pocket, pulling out his bandana. He took the bottle of water Carol held out to him without a word, pouring a little over the fabric, and reaching up to wipe his face clean. He heard Carol exhale, felt her squeeze his shoulder reassuringly, before she walked by him, ready to leave the room. But she halted a few steps later, turning back to him.

"I'm not a stranger to making hard decisions; I think you and me both know that. But when a girl like Beth gives you a choice to make, a choice like this; Daryl, that's what most people would call a no-brainer."

He raised his eyes from the bandana he was holding to hers. Carol quirked an eyebrow at him, letting her statement lie; before she turned and headed from the room, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Thoughts of Beth Greene and wasted time and dangerous circumstances and unspoken truths.

Rick's words from earlier that day came back to him; words he hadn't allowed himself to really process when they had been out on the run, and which hadn't had a chance to surface following the circumstances that had occurred while they were out there.

They were all on borrowed time.

They couldn't forget that. They couldn't forget that every day, every minute could be their last. They couldn't forget how quickly things could turn; how fragile life was.

What had happened with Rick, how quickly things had gone from good to bad in only a second; how differently things could have turned out if the bullet had hit just slightly lower, slightly to the left. All of that, all of those what-ifs drove the statement home. The statement both Rick and Beth had independently hit him with. And the emptiness that would have been left in that place; the grief that would have been felt; it didn't bear thinking about but the reality of that couldn't be denied. They could have lost Rick today. They could have lost any one of them.

What if things had been different, like Rick had warned him about only earlier that exact same day. What if it had been him and he was gone now; Beth never knowing the truth. Never knowing, hearing, what he felt for her.

Leaving her with only his doubts, his fear and his rejection of what she believed they could be.

Or, worse, if God forbid, what she had warned him about during their confrontation came to fruition; if she went without knowing, like Rick believed Lori did.

In either of those circumstances, would he have been glad that he had pulled away, had spared them the pain they might have to go through by denying and running from what they had. Or if things were different; if he had embraced it, fought for it and spent every minute of the rest of their lives making sure Beth knew just what she meant to him, just how special she was and how much he cared for her. Never doubting for a second that, for him, she was everything.

Which of the two ways would he rather he had lived?

Fighting. Or running.

Daryl bit down on his bottom lip, glancing back in the door way where Beth had just stood and where Carol had just left.

No brainer, indeed.


	18. Day Twenty-Four

Daryl shuffled nervously at the door to the office, inside of which Beth was sitting at the desk stitching up a hole in one of the shirts that he'd noticed drying on the pews the day before. She wasn't alone though. Judith was playing on the floor with the little giraffe she had been given at Christmas, along with a bunch of plastic cups and a ball of tin foil. Carl was sitting in the corner of the room reading a comic book. Sasha and Maggie were sitting on the couch talking, not too far away from her.

It was probably the first time there had ever been so many people in the tiny room at once, most of them opting for the Church sanctuary or outside. But a cold front had moved in and he figured most people would rather stay inside rather than out.

Daryl thought he caught Beth glance in his direction out the corner of her eye but she made no move to acknowledge him.

Day four of not talking.

Since his reflections the night before, his realisation of what he had to do, after Rick and Carol's unsolicited advice had brought him to his senses, he had been desperate to talk with her. But the night before had been impossible; everyone was in a frenzy over what had happened to Rick; everyone stepping on one another's toes as the general atmosphere of the situation kept everyone busy and moving.

So, he had given up and resolved to speak with her in the morning. It was now almost midday and he still hadn't approached her. Earlier, she had been preoccupied with Judith, as she often was first thing in the morning; and then she had stuck close by Maggie and he had wanted to avoid addressing her in front of her sister, Glenn's frostiness enough of a glimpse into what Maggie must be feeling towards him at the moment; but now, time was getting on and he was getting desperate again.

The new train of thought that Rick had inspired within him, his words and the incident on the run, had suddenly made it clear just how precious time was, something he would have figured out sooner if he had just listened to what Beth was saying, and he couldn't help the sudden panic that hit him when he wondered if he would be too late. If something would prevent him from being able to speak to her, to explain himself. Whether something physical keeping them apart, or if his own behaviour had finally driven her away completely.

Until now, Beth had always come back to him. His worry at the thought that maybe he had pushed too far, too hard, was suddenly very real.

He needed to fix this. Now.

Daryl drew in a breath, walking through the door way, crossing the room to where Beth sat; audience be damned. He felt numerous eyes focus on him from various points in the room; everyone's except Beth's, the person who's attention he actually wanted. He forced himself to ignore them, to pretend not to notice their unwelcome interest, as he grabbed a chair as he passed it, dragging it up to the desk and sitting down on it beside her.

Beth kept herself focused on the sewing needle, as she carried on with her task, offering him no greeting.

Daryl swallowed, feeling himself losing his nerve, wishing he had rehearsed something; at least an opening sentence to kick things off. Instead, he'd been so intent to getting to her, on fixing things, that he had taken no time to actually consider what he was going to say. He glanced away from her, his eyes taking in the audience they had, numerous eyes dropping when he raised his, pretending not to be interested in what was going on.

Daryl drew in a breath, swallowing, knowing that anything he had to say, he couldn't say in front of this lot. He needed to get her alone. He cleared his throat, turning back to her, speaking as quietly as he could; "Haven't trained in a while."

Her eyes flicked to the side, from the needle to his face, and then back, offering him nothing else.

"Y' wanna practice some?"

He thought she wasn't going to answer; then she shook her head, slightly; "No, thanks."

Daryl hesitated, unsure how to respond, not really anticipating that she would outright reject an invitation to be alone so they could talk this thing out. The response unnerved him and he frowned, looking down at his hands, that were clenched nervously in his lap, before he nodded; "'kay." And then he pushed himself to his feet, starting to turn away.

But as he did, he caught himself. Realising what he was doing; walking away. And hadn't he just the day before decided he wanted to fight for this?

He drew in a breath, turning back around, looking down at her. He swallowed, before speaking with more determination than before; "A walk then."

Daryl watched as the needle she was threading stilled.

He took it as encouragement, adding; "Can go wherever y' want."

Beth was still for a moment, not responding in any other way to what he had said, and then she tilted her chin and looked up, meeting his eyes. She held them, looking at him carefully for a moment, and then the side of her lips twitched slightly and she looked back down. She lifted the needle, pulling on two bits of the thread, pulling it taut, and leaned down, snapping it with her teeth, before she dropped the needle into the draw and stood.

She turned, standing close to him, almost right in his face. But her eyes were reserved when they met his and she raised an eyebrow, before she walked by him, and he took it as an invitation to follow.

xxx

Daryl had dragged her out for a walk over half an hour ago and still hadn't said a word to her.

The man was infuriating. Did he honestly think this was going to help matters, making her walk miles in the freezing cold, while he brooded silently alongside her, leaving her to wonder if he expected her to broach the conversation first.

Beth hadn't been all that surprised when he had approached her; she had expected, or rather hoped, that it would happen sooner or later. And, after the incident with Rick the previous day, she had started to assume it would be sooner. They weren't broken yet; she had seen it in his eyes when he'd looked at her across the room. He just needed space. Time.

In that moment, she had been willing to give it to him, to give him anything, because when Glenn had given her and Maggie the news about what had happened on the run she had been frantic; needing to see him, see with her own eyes that he was okay. And the whole time she was going to him, she had been haunted by the cold way that she had treated him in the kitchen earlier that morning; considering, anxiously, how that could have been the last time she had spoken to him; the last exchange they had ever had.

The sight of him had only mildly calmed her; but it was enough that she could leave and deal with the panic she felt alone.

After a while, the two of them stepped out of the woods into a clearing and it only took her a few seconds to realise where they were; the waterfall. The one he had brought her to some weeks before, back when they were still good, back when he had been there for her. It was perhaps the sweetest thing he had done for her, yet; bringing her there, trying to restore her faith. A moment, a memory she treasured.

And she felt her fury return to her tenfold that the place would now be ruined, now being associated with this estrangement that they found themselves in.

Beth rounded on him, suddenly, raising an eyebrow; "You want to train?"

Daryl raised surprised eyes to hers from the ground, seeming startled by the sudden fire in her; "Thought you didn't?"

She shrugged; "Changed my mind. You'd know all about that."

Daryl frowned at her, looking away from her awkwardly; "Um…"

"'sides, it's better than just walking about in silence for the next hour or however long you want to keep us out here," Beth added, taking up a fighting stance, and Daryl hesitantly raised his own hands into a defensive position; ready to start. He hadn't taught her much, they had only had that one lesson, the day before they had kissed; before the tension broke. He'd taught her the basics, how to throw a punch, how to keep herself closed off from responding blows, how to block.

She made her first move, Daryl easily blocking it; she tried again, he blocked it. And so they carried on and it felt oddly therapeutic, throwing punches and letting out the frustration she was feeling. Daryl easily blocked each one that she threw his way, but she quickly noticed he offered no responding blows, no attempt to engage in the activity, even though she knew, herself, that she was leaving herself wide open.

After a while she could feel herself warming up despite the cold, feel the dampness of sweat on her brow and her breaths coming in little puffs, her breathing not quite steady; Daryl, meanwhile, seemed completely unaffected, barely even moving from the spot where he stood before her.

"Beth," Daryl finally sighed, as they carried on their movements, which had almost become a patterned routine by this point; "C'mon. Stop."

"Why?"

"'cause this is pointless."

"Wouldn't be if you'd fight back; try and teach me something."

"Don't think you're interested in learnin' nothin' right now."

"Just try and hit me; I wanna block."

"No."

"Why not?" Beth snapped, the reticence of his manner riling her; "It's what you're good at, right? Throwing punches."

It was a low blow and Beth had to bite back the sudden surge of guilt she felt overcome her at her words; words thrown out to hurt not something that came easy to her, not something she took lightly.

Daryl kept a hold of her wrist when he blocked her next punch, gripping it and holding her still. Beth met his eyes; saw the regret shining in them, the remorse, and it was too much for her to look at. If she held them any longer she would crumble and she couldn't do that; he needed to know that he couldn't do this to her and she needed to be strong. She dropped her eyes from his, to the ground.

"I didn't mean it." His voice was quiet, the regret she had seen in his eyes reflected in his tone.

Beth squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the sting of tears that she ferociously fought against; "Why'd you do it?"

He was silent for a moment, not saying a word, and she guessed he was either struggling with what to say or wishing that he hadn't brought this up because he'd rather not say anything at all. His response surprised her, it was mumbled, so that she could hardly hear it, but it was one of those rare open statements that he only occasionally made; "Dunno. Got scared, maybe."

Beth pursed her lips together; she knew this. She knew he was afraid. And she knew how hard it was for him to say it. But it didn't let him off the hook; "You don't get to do that; to treat me like that." She swallowed, summoning all the strength she could find to meet his eyes and shake her head; "It's not okay."

Daryl held her eyes, not looking away either, though she could tell he was struggling not to; "I know."

Beth held his eyes for a moment, before she lowered them, fixing them instead on his chest, as she swallowed. The two of them were quiet, neither saying anything until she finally asked; "What were you scared of?"

He didn't say anything, not for a few seconds, and she raised her eyes to his, expectantly.

Daryl appeared to shrink under her gaze and shrugged, mumbling; "Y'know."

Beth felt herself fire up again, the inadequate response riling her instantly. She snatched her wrist back from him, roughly; "God, would it kill you to just say something for once?" She shoved by him, making to walk back into the trees, but was halted when Daryl grabbed her by the arm, pulling her back to face him.

"Look," he began, with a snap, but then he faltered.

The two of them stood there, staring one another down, and Beth could tell that Daryl was struggling with something, Struggling with what he wanted to say, as he lowered his eyes from hers, his grip on her arm loosening but still holding her there. He bit his lip, before he met her eyes; "I ain't ever done this before." At her puzzled frown, he elaborated; "Ain't ever been with anyone like this."

Beth's frown went from puzzled to comprehension, as she realised what he was telling her. That he'd never been with a woman before; had never been in a relationship. It surprised her, but only for a second because, really, after the way he had been behaving with her for the past few weeks, it all made perfect sense.

"Oh," she said, quietly, lowering her eyes.

She considered his words quietly, felt his hand squeeze her arm, the two of them seeming to contemplate what he had just said. After a moment he spoke, the regret evident in his tone once again.

"I'm sorry, Beth."

The regretful openness of his statement made her stomach clench and she squeezed her eyes shut again. She hated that she got so upset when she was angry, when she wanted to be strong; "I know," she said, quietly, not looking up at him; "But I'm still so mad at you."

Daryl shuffled slightly where he stood, awkwardly, contritely; "I dunno know what I'm doin' here."

Beth sighed, raising her eyes to his, lifting her shoulders slightly; "You think I do?"

His brow furrowed, slightly; "Y' been with guys before."

Beth gave him a wry smile, humourless, and rolled her eyes, letting them rest on the grass at their feet, because Jimmy and Zach weren't even remotely the same to what was going on here. She had never felt this way with either of them; they had never moved her the way her relationship with Daryl had, they had never driven her crazy the way he did.

When she said nothing, he added; "I told ya before; I ain't good at this."

He'd told her before, yes. At Christmas. It seemed like so long ago now.

She raised her eyes to his, lifting her eyebrows, as she remembered her response back then, so clearly; "Friendship?"

She knew Daryl immediately sensed the challenge in her words; the dare to finally establish just what it was the two of them were. What they were doing here; what they were feeling.

Daryl's eyes took on a determination all of a sudden, one he hadn't had before now, shaking his head, slightly; "No."

Beth felt her stomach clench again, her breath almost catching, as she realised exactly where this was going. What he was trying to say to her. She swallowed; "What then?"

The determination faltered slightly, and he averted his eyes for a second, before forcing himself to meet hers once again, and he shook his head; "Beth. I can't promise nothin'." He hesitated for a second, looking down; "I think y' got this idea of what we are; these expectations." He raised his eyes back to hers, shrugging as he went on; "I meant it before; I dunno if I can be what y' want me t' be."

Beth frowned, confused for a moment, before she remembered what she had said some days before, when she had been trying to convince him to take the leap with her; to just jump. She sighed; "Daryl, you already are what I want you to be." She turned to face him head on, standing in front of him properly, reaching up to put her hands on his arms, cold leather beneath her fingers.

She shook her head; "I never said I thought it was gonna be easy. I know we're gonna mess up; both of us, not just you," she added, with a firm certainty, any anger she felt gone now, in light of his recent declarations. Now, she knew that he was with her, that he wanted this, there was no reason to hold back; "But that's just part of it. That's just the bad part. The rest?" She smiled, for the first time since they'd come out here; "I think it's gonna be pretty great."

Daryl was silent as he seemed to consider her words, eyes on hers, looking at her carefully, before she noticed a change in his expression, barely noticeable, but enough for her to realise nonetheless; he got it. He was with her.

Beth released a breath, giving him a slight smile and added; "You think you're the only one who's scared?" She shrugged, shaking her head, responding honestly; "You're not."

Daryl surprise was evident at the confession, as he looked at her.

"Daryl, you're my first too."

Daryl's brow furrowed slightly, before he seemed to understand what she was saying. He released a slow breath, his eyes locking on hers, meeting them with an intensity she had seen before; long ago now, though, back at a kitchen table when they'd both thought they were the only two people left in the world.

She swallowed, suddenly nervous under his gaze, watched as he took his bottom lip between his teeth, nibbling it for a second, before he cautiously leaned in closer. He hesitated, stopping and leaving only a tiny space between them, his eyes darting between hers, uncertainly, as if seeking approval; worried he might be shut down.

Beth lifted her chin, slightly; challenging him. And then she saw a smile tug at the side of his lips, before he leaned in and closed the distance, gently claiming her lips by closing his over hers. He drew his chin back slightly, pulling back, the kiss brief but sweet, and then he leaned back in, raising a hand up to her jawline as he did so, his fingers gently sliding into the hair behind her ear, caressing it, as he pressed his lips back to hers.

His kiss lacked the urgency of their first, some days before; this one slow, deliberate and tender.

Beth reached up, her hands resting on his shoulders for second, as her lips responded to his, before they slid from the leather fabric up to his neck, reaching round and burying in the hair at the back of his head as she pushed herself up onto her tiptoes to press herself against him more fully.

She sighed against his lips when they opened for her, feeling his free hand gripping her hip tightly, and she felt him smile against her, before he pressed his lips with slightly more pressure against hers and drew back.

Beth felt those butterflies that had lately become a stranger gripping her once again, as she felt satisfaction and an embarrassing giddiness wash over her when Daryl didn't pull completely away, still standing close, his hand falling from her cheek to her shoulder.

She gave him a playful grin, letting her hands slide back around so they rested on his, the sides of them still pressed against his neck; "So, we're this now?"

"If y' still wanna be."

"Y' don't think I do?"

"Given up tryin' to figure out what you're thinkin'."

"I think you're a pig-headed pain in the ass."

Daryl grinned, a small puff of amusement leaving his lips; "Still, ya keep comin' back."

Beth smiled, lowering her eyes, before raising them back to his. She shrugged; "I think other things too. Just don't think you deserve to hear them right now."

"Thought my apology was goin' well."

Beth giggled, unable to help herself, and pushed herself up to kiss him again, just because she could, and he responded readily, his lips moving against hers until she drew back with a wide smile.

Daryl bit his lip, clearly holding back a responding smile; "What?"

Beth shrugged, trying to keep her giddiness under control; "Nothing. Just…I can't believe we're doing this."

Daryl smiled at that, shrugging and lowering his eyes, almost shy.

Beth bit her lip, tilting her head to the side; "What changed you mind?"

Daryl's eyes met hers sharply and she felt a smile tug again, the question reminiscent of another one asked before, this being the third time she had said it and each time so far, he'd dodged the question, giving implied responses and intense gazes; the answer never verbalised.

Daryl drew in a breath, as he looked at her, and in his eyes Beth could see his answer; could see the affection, the admiration and the longing with which he was regarding her. And then, just when she thought that was all she was going to get, he spoke one simple word:

"You."

And it was everything that she needed to hear.


	19. Day Twenty-Seven

The change in their relationship still hadn't quite sunk in for Beth some days later; everything still strange, thrilling and new.

For the past few days, the two of them had spent their time stealing private moments in quiet areas; stolen kisses, touches and looks.

It wasn't that they didn't want the group to know; Beth was certain they already did, as she had been more than willing to spill the beans to Maggie that same night and tell her everything that had happened.

The following day, everyone was casting them curious looks and teasing smiles; suddenly not-so-coy about what they suspected and Beth wasn't sure if it was because Maggie had told someone else and the news had quickly spread or if it was just that she and Daryl were just being so obvious about the whole thing.

She was inclined to think it was the later; she, herself, could tell the drastic change in demeanour that they both had had since returning from the woods that day. But she wasn't entirely sure, as Daryl hadn't been all that forthcoming with the new development when they were in the presence of the group. He was still, very much, hands off when they were in company and his behaviour wasn't all that different towards her than it was when they had been on good terms before their kiss.

Beth was only grateful that this restraint seemed to leave him, at least a little, when they were alone.

A fact she was glad of, at the moment, when she stood holding the crossbow, carefully aiming it towards the target they had set up on the tree, with Daryl standing pressed up behind her, arms wrapped around her, his hands over hers as he helped her aim the shot.

"Strange that y' suddenly can't hit the target," he remarked, and Beth quickly picked up on the wryness of his tone.

Beth fought back a grin and shrugged; "Guess I'm a little rusty. It's been a while since I did this."

"Hmm. Must be it."

Beth bit down on her lip, unsuccessfully preventing her grin from spreading as she turned her head to look at him; their faces close together when she did. He leaned back slightly, eyes scanning her face and quickly picking up on her amusement, before he fought a smile of his own.

He quirked an eyebrow; "This ain't the first time y' done this."

"Done what?"

"Pretended y' didn't know how t' shoot."

Beth felt her lips twitch slightly, a little blush spreading over her cheeks, as she remembered back to that lesson he had given her; it seemed so long ago now, though it was probably only a few weeks. Back when all this was still new and confusing, and she still didn't realise what it was she felt for him. Back when she'd repeatedly shot past the target, the reward being exactly this; his arms wrapped around her and his breath against her cheek.

Back then, she had accused him of thinking of her as a child. From the way he held her now, she was certain that was never the case.

Beth pursed her lips together to conceal her smile; "What you trying to say?"

"Think y' know."

"You think I know a lot of stuff," she came back with; "Maybe if you'd just explain once in a while it might save us some time."

She felt Daryl's silent chuckle in response, the slight vibration of his chest against her back, but when she looked at him he shook his head; "Don't get sassy, Greene. We're supposed to be trainin' here."

Beth gave him a wide smile, her response teasing; "You love it."

She could have sworn she saw him blush; "Just shoot."

Beth rolled her eyes, still grinning as she turned her attention back to the target, raising the crossbow from the drooping position it had lowered to during their exchange. She carefully lined it up, certain the target was within range, beginning the shot just as Daryl had taught her in the past; pull it, don't jerk it.

And then, just at that final moment, when she started to pull, she felt Daryl's teeth nip gently at her earlobe, making her jump and jerk the trigger, sending the bolt flying past the intended tree and to the left, into the trunk of another, further away one.

Beth turned to look at him sharply, surprised at his sudden boldness. Since their kiss following his apology, every kiss had been initiated by her and his sudden playfulness was both unexpected and delightful.

His expression, however, gave nothing away, a look of utter seriousness as he raised an unimpressed eyebrow; "Y' missed."

Beth gave him a wry smile, raising an eyebrow of her own; "That was dangerous. You should know better than to distract a girl who's holding a loaded weapon."

"Part of the lesson."

Beth frowned, allowing the crossbow to lower, noting the way Daryl's arms followed and stayed around her when she did; "How?"

"Gotta learn t' deal with distractions when your shooting," Daryl elaborated, before he went on further with a dull explanation of the reality of battle and the necessity of keeping focused.

Beth felt her lips tug at the side, starting as a small smile that gradually grew larger until Daryl stopped and looked at her strangely; "What?"

"That's so romantic."

Daryl frowned at her and then rolled his eyes, scoffing, and Beth saw another tinge of redness on his cheeks as he finally stepped away from her, releasing her from his embrace, and made to walk by her.

"Where are you going?"

"To get the bolt."

But he got no further than a few steps before Beth grabbed his hand, tugging him back to her with a smile. He still got that startled look sometimes when she did this, when she pulled him to her, no-nonsense like and with only one thing in mind. She pushed herself up onto her tiptoes, as she always had to do when he didn't lean down to her, and wrapped her arms loosely around his neck, before leaning in and pressing her lips to his. She smiled against him when they responded to hers, the kiss deep but unhurried. Taking their time.

She didn't think she would ever get enough of this; of him.

She didn't think she had ever been this happy.

Daryl drew back first but didn't pull away, instead leaning his forehead against hers and giving her that tiny smile that she loved.

She could do this. She could do this for the rest of her life.

xxx

Daryl's relationship with Maggie had always been relatively amicable, even if they weren't all that close.

Still, he knew all about the fire that she had within her, similar to the one Beth had demonstrated to him time and time again. The same as their father before them. He guessed it was a Greene thing.

And an unwavering loyalty and protectiveness towards one another was always something that the family had going for them as well. Daryl was pretty certain that his behaviour towards Beth before they had managed to figure everything out was not something that her sister had looked upon kindly; that it was something that would have bothered her and he was sure she had more than her fair share of things to say to him about it.

Though respect seemed to be something the Greene's had going for them as well; and Daryl figured it was out of respect for her sister that Maggie had held back confronting him with any of her thoughts and feelings about it, as well as any reservations she made have had about their relationship.

His hopes that this would continue wavered somewhat that evening, when none other than Maggie Greene had managed to corner him in the kitchen after dinner.

"Been meaning to talk to you."

Daryl met her eyes, hesitantly. It wasn't that he was afraid of her or of anything she had to say; only that he would rather he and Beth have her blessing if the two of them were going to carry on with what they had going. He didn't want to create any unnecessary drama between the two sisters, not now that the two of them had lost their father.

"That right?"

"Mhm," she nodded, eyeing him for a second, her expression guarded, giving nothing away. She rolled her eyes slightly; "At first I thought I'd leave it to Glenn. But you know how that turned out."

That was ages ago. Was he really going to have to defend his behaviour from back then? Though the question dwindled away to guilt, as he realised he'd caused Beth a fair amount of grief the past few weeks and he supposed he did deserve this, as her sister was probably the one who had been there listening to all that had went on; the one who had been there for her.

He lowered his eyes, shrugging, carrying on with unloading the supplies that Michonne and Tyreese had brought back from their run earlier that day.

"Guess he doesn't have my dad's knack for it; he never sent anyone running for the hills before."

Daryl glanced at her, noticed the hint of humour in her tone, the way she was regarding him both carefully and amusedly at the same time. He shrugged; "Ain't exactly somethin' I was expectin', 's all."

Maggie nodded, still looking at him carefully, before she went on; "Figured you deserved the same treatment the other's did." At his confused frown, she elaborated; "Glenn, Jimmy, Zack; they all got it." A small smile, reminiscent and almost sad; "My dad made real sure of that."

Daryl lowered his eyes from hers, slightly, remembering too. Remembering that that wise old man who'd never lost faith; who'd always believed and who'd always fought for everything he believed they could be. Tough son of a bitch; "He was a good man."

Maggie met his eyes sharply, looking surprised at his words. He held her eyes though he wanted to look away; felt uneasy under the scrutiny and the gradual softness that came to her eyes, before she gave him a small smile. She raised her eyebrows, speaking confidently; "So are you."

Daryl felt his discomfort increase at the unexpected compliment, the sudden warmth in her gaze and looked down, shuffling awkwardly. When the silence stretched, he glanced back up at her, cautious and guardedly, not all that comfortable with letting her see how the statement affected him.

Maggie's smile widened slightly and she nodded, going on, speaking with conviction; the same conviction he often heard from Beth whenever she was sure of something; "I've seen it, how she's changed 'causa you."

Daryl frowned, not sure if that was a compliment because, as far as he was concerned, Beth was just fine as she was. And he didn't want her changing for nothing.

Maggie seemed to sense his thoughts; "Making her stronger; making her wanna fight."

Daryl lowered his eyes, shrugging, not taking credit for that; Beth was a fighter. She did that all on her own.

"My Daddy, he'd be proud, y'know. To know a man like you cares so much about his little girl."

Daryl met her eyes sharply and Maggie held them, her statement delivered with the same conviction as everything else she had said, and he felt a strange tightening in his stomach at her words; at understanding exactly what it was that she was saying. That she was happy for them; that they had her blessing. And that she believed Hershel would be too.

Daryl swallowed, looking down, unsure of how to receive to the compliment, moved by the sentiment but uncertain of the appropriate way to respond.

She seemed to sense his discomfort and went on; "Just so we're clear." He raised his eyes back to hers at the tone, an unusual mixture of humour and seriousness; "You break my baby sister's heart, I'll be sending you right on up there to explain yourself to him."

The not-quite a threat was something he was more accustomed to dealing with, the slight humour in her eyes lightening the weight of the previous exchange, and he felt a smile tug at his lips and he nodded; "Got it."

And then she smiled, big and bright, and nodded; "Good." And then she stepped closer to him, making for the door behind him, and he fought the urge to step away, when she raised an amused eyebrow and got him on the arm, not quite a hit but not quite a pat, and grinned, almost playfully; "Welcome to the family."

And, saving him the awkwardness of having to actually respond, she walked on by, giggling to herself at his obvious discomfort, and left him there.

Left him with a strange mix of embarrassment and satisfaction, humbleness and pride over everything that had just been said and understood.

xxx

Daryl had watch later that night, mostly everyone still up and about with the exception of Little Ass Kicker. He hadn't been able to spot Beth amongst the people in the sanctuary where most everyone was gathered, chatting away amongst themselves, which had been surprising as she had been pretty much within sight ever since they had reconciled days before and, more often than not, within touching distance, even if they had made a point of not touching.

Except for the occasional, not-quite accidental brushing of their hands against one another as they passed one another or the gentle touches on her arm to guide her if they happened to be heading somewhere together.

He gave up his discreet search for her, figuring she was with Judith and knowing that Michonne would be expecting him to take over on watch, and headed on out to the porch, only to find the object of his thoughts sitting in the space he expected to find Michonne, her back against the wall, her knees up, a blanket draped over them and a book in her lap. His book. The one she'd given him more than a week before.

He felt a slight smile tug on his lips as he approached her, his footsteps drawing her attention from what she was reading. She lifted her head, glancing up at him, and giving him a warm smile when she noticed that it was him.

He nodded at her.

She grasped the fabric of the blanket that covered her, lifting it slightly; "Brought a blanket this time."

"Can see that."

She grinned and then reached down, pushing herself to her feet, holding the blanket and book tightly in one hand; she nodded down at the ground. Daryl frowned, though he understood what she was asking, and walked in closer, before lowering himself into a sitting position, mirroring hers; back against the wall, his knees bent.

Beth walked around him and gently kicked at his feet, nudging them apart further, and then turned and made to sit down, bracing one hand on his knee as she lowered herself to sit between his legs. Daryl swallowed, surprised and slightly uncomfortable at the intimacy of her seating choice, as she settled herself back against him and shook the blanket out, before draping it over the two of them.

Daryl cleared his throat, awkwardly allowing his hands to rest on each of her knees, as he sat there tensely, uncertain of what to do next.

Beth glanced over her shoulder at him, leaning away slightly, so that their faces weren't so close, the nature of their position meaning she was pressed completely against him. She gave him a smile; "Okay?"

Daryl felt himself melt under those eyes and drew in a breath before he nodded, tightening his hands on her knees in a squeeze; "Mhm."

Beth's smile widened and she turned away, leaning back more fully so that the back of her head rested against his shoulder, as she lifted up the book.

"Thought that was mine?"

He could see her smile, though she kept her focus on the item in her hand, opening it; "It is. Have you read it?"

"Nah."

"Really? Why not?"

"s' for kids."

Beth turned her head to give him a playful glare; "Santa brought it for you to read, y' know. He's gonna be disappointed. No more presents for you next year."

He fought a smile at her nonsense; "Figured it was just…I dunno. One of those things y' do."

Beth's playfulness melted away and she smiled at him, warmly, turning her attention back to it, fingering the spine; "It's pretty tatty."

"'s fine."

"Can try to find a better one; I think this one has pages missing," she flicked through it, carefully.

"'s fine, Beth."

She looked at him, eyeing him for a second, before she smiled, seeming to understand that he liked the book just fine; that he didn't want another one. This one, and the sentiment behind it, he was more than happy with. She turned back, opening it up, turning her attention to the written words on the page, leaning herself forward slightly as she did so that the back of her head was only a little away from his face, her ponytail fluttering in the breeze and little tendrils of hair tickling his face.

Daryl exhaled, his discomfort easing somewhat and feeling suddenly content; Beth there with him, against him with his arms around her, feeling so perfect and right. He squeezed her knees beneath his hands again, leaning forward the slight distance to press a soft kiss to the hair at the back of her head.

Beth turned to look at him when he drew back, a bashful smile on her face. He leaned his head back against the wall, giving her a slight smile in response. She bit her lip; "This make you uncomfortable?"

"What?"

She raised an eyebrow, reaching up and squeezing one of his knees with her hand; "This."

Daryl shook his head; "Nah."

She giggled, shaking her head, "Sure."

Daryl fought a smile, realising she'd picked up on the tense response his body had had when she'd first settled herself there. Before he could respond though, she leaned back against him again, head still tilted to the side, and leaned in closer, gently pressing her lips against his.

Her kisses often started like that, gentle, soft and tentative; and then, after a moment, she'd increase the pressure and move her lips and, after that, it was all just a mix of easy kisses, caressing hands and soft sighs and an unwavering sense of satisfaction and longing all rolled into one.

Daryl reached up as he returned her kiss, running his hand across her jaw, the palm of his hand rubbing gently across her throat as he did, losing himself in the sensation of just being there with her.

And then, the door to the Church burst open and Rick stepped out, making Beth and Daryl break apart quickly, but not quickly enough for the other man not to see and realise what'd he'd interrupted.

It was hard to tell who was more embarrassed; Rick or the two of them, as he reached a hand up to rub the back of his neck; "Ah…sorry, man."

Daryl shrugged, feeling mortified, suddenly tense again and very aware of the fact that Beth was still settled very firmly against him, between his legs.

Rick cleared his throat, averting his eyes, looking out over the field; "Was just comin' t' speak to you about that run. Ah…but it's not important." He waved a dismissive hand, and then turned around, turning the opposite direction from them, to go back into the Church; "I'll catch up with you tomorrow."

And before either Beth or Daryl could say a word, he had left, closing the door firmly behind him.

Daryl felt Beth shake against him, the sound of her muffled giggles reaching his ears a moment later, and he felt his embarrassment fade away in light of her amusement, as she turned to look at him again over her shoulder. She gave him a bright smile, before biting her lip; "You were saying?"

Daryl grinned, aware of the sudden tenseness of his position, and shrugged, relaxing slightly; "I'll get used t' it."

Beth's smile turned warm, affectionate and she lowered her eyes, coyly for a second, before raising them back up with an impish smile, before she leaned forward to press a quick peck to the side of his lips, before she turned herself around and settled herself back against him, shimmying down lower in his arms so that, rather than against his shoulder, the back of her head now rested against the left of his chest.

She let the book lie in her lap and reached up, putting her hands over his, entwining her fingers with his, and pulling her arms around herself, pulling his with her. Daryl dipped his head down, the side of his lips against her temple, breathing her in as he held her, tightening his arms around her for a second.

He'd get used to this.

After a second like this, Beth turned her head slightly, pressing in closer; "Daryl?"

"Mm?"

"I'm glad you're here."

Daryl felt himself smile against her, remembering a time when he'd said the same to her; almost an eternity ago now, it seemed. Back before all of this, before he ever dreamed they could have this; back when they'd just come together again after being separated, that first night in camp.

Back then he'd meant that he was glad she was back with the group. That she'd come home.

He knew that she meant something different now; something more.

That she meant that he was with her, completely; that they were together now.

Like this.

Daryl tightened his arms around her again, contentment and a happiness that he couldn't believe was his own washing over him, as he murmured against her temple;

"Me too."

And they stayed like that; just the two of them until the sun came up. Both ready to face, together, anything that this world decided to throw their way.

~Fin~


End file.
